


My Best Friend’s Dad

by iamagraveyard



Category: My Chemical Romance
Genre: Age Difference, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Blow Job, Butt Plugs, Cheating, Daddy Issues, Daddy Kink, Drug Dealing, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, First Time Blow Jobs, First Time Bottoming, First Time Topping, Flirting, Frerard, Gay, Hand Job, Lesbian Character, M/M, Muscles, Open Relationships, Recreational Drug Use, Rimming, Slow Burn, Smut, Threesome - M/M/M, Underage Drinking
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-18
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:27:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 135,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24792349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iamagraveyard/pseuds/iamagraveyard
Summary: Frank Iero has a huge crush on his best friend’s gorgeous dad...
Relationships: Frank Iero/Gerard Way
Comments: 255
Kudos: 260





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FYI: Gerard is Mikey’s dad in this fic.

“Your dad is so fucking cool,” eighteen-year-old Frank Iero says dreamily while relaxedly swaying his legs back and forth in the water at the edge of the Ways’ pool as he sips from a can of ice-cold beer. His best friend, Mikey Way, is sitting behind him on a patio chair with his phone in one hand and a beer in the other, only half-assedly listening to Frank as he’s preoccupied with text-messaging his girlfriend, Alicia. Frank doesn’t mind Mikey’s aloofness though, especially when he’s busy discreetly checking out Mr. Way from behind his sunglasses as the older man is sunbathing shirtless on the other side of the pool, with every defined muscle seemingly glistening underneath the light of the hot sun, practically making saliva drip down Frank’s chin as he checks out the sexy, middle-aged man. 

“What’d you say?” asks Mikey, finally looking up from his phone and over at Frank.

Frank just shakes his head as he finishes the last of his beer, feeling the slight buzz of the beginnings of intoxication. “Nothin’...” he says with a lopsided smile on his face, shaking his head slowly as he watches Mr. Way get up from the lawn chair and start walking towards them. Mikey cluelessly goes back to texting Alicia.

Frank’s heart starts to beat a little faster as Mr. Way approaches and he boldly takes off his sunglasses so Mr. Way can see that his eyes are scanning up and down his body, hungrily ogling his bulging quads, chiseled abs, defined pecs and strong-looking arms. 

“You drunk already, kid?” Mr. Way asks, smirking as he runs a hand through his already tousled black hair.

Frank laughs—he does at pretty much everything Mr. Way says, much to Mikey’s annoyance—and blushes, guessing that Mr. Way is noticing his dazed-looking smile. 

“No, it’s gonna take more than one, if you’re trying...” Frank says—he’s definitely tipsy right now (yeah, he’s a lightweight) and he’s definitely having a hard time hiding the fact that he has a huge crush on the gorgeous Mr. Way who he’s known ever since he’d become friends with Mikey in seventh grade. 

Mr. Way raises an eyebrow and looks over at Mikey as if he’s checking to see if his son had heard what his best friend had just said to him. “Come inside for a bit,” Mr. Way says, looking at Frank again after seeing that his son’s attention is completely on his phone, which he seems to never put down. “I’ll get you a refill.”

Frank doesn’t think twice before standing up and following Mr. Way inside of the large house as pool water drips off his legs and onto the tiled floors. He sits down on one of the barstools in front of the kitchen island counter and watches Mr. Way swing open the fridge and take out a bottle of vodka, a box of cranberry juice and a bottle of soda, placing them on the counter, presumably about to make himself a refreshing drink. 

“What are you making?” asks Frank, watching intently as Mr. Way pours two ounces of vodka into a cocktail shaker.

“Vodka cranberry,” says Mr. Way, looking up and briefly meeting Frank’s eyes. “I think you’ll like it,” he says as he begins to mix the cocktail by vigorously shaking the stainless-steel shaker. He smirks when he notices the surprised look on Frank’s face.

“Wait—that’s for _me_?” Frank asks, his eyes widening. 

Mr. Way chuckles amusedly. “Yeah, it’s for you,” he says, setting the cocktail shaker down and taking the top off before pouring the red liquid into a small glass and sliding it across the countertop over to Frank. “Do your parents ever let you drink at home?” he asks, looking at Frank expectantly.

Frank bursts out laughing. “Hell no,” he says, shaking his head. “I mean, it’s just my mom and I now, but she’d absolutely _freak_ if she knew I was drinking already.”

Mr. Way nods. “Oh, that’s right—I forgot your parents split last year. Sorry, kid,” he says. “Anyway, I just don’t see the point of barring Mikey from something that you guys will experience somewhere else anyway. You’ll probably make better decisions about drinking having already experienced its effects at home. That’s just the way I see it,” he says with a shrug. 

“That makes a lot of sense,” says Frank thoughtfully. “You’re such a cool dad.”

“Are you gonna try your drink?” asks Mr. Way as he looks up and down between Frank’s eyes and the untouched drink in front of him. “I made it especially for you—I don’t drink that fruity shit,” he adds with a smirk.

“Oh—yeah,” says Frank with a chuckle, nodding and picking up the cold glass before taking a sip and tasting the alcoholic beverage. “Wow, that tastes amazing,” he says, looking up at Mr. Way as he takes another sip.

“Yeah? You like it?” asks Mr. Way, smiling as he leans across the counter, his muscular shoulders somehow seeming even bigger in this position. 

“Yeah, it’s great. Thank you,” says Frank, already feeling the alcohol going straight to his head, making him feel pleasantly dizzy. He can’t help but check out Mr. Way’s upper body as he leans in close across the countertop. “You must work out a lot,” Frank blurts out, meeting Mr. Way’s eyes now.

The older man smiles and chuckles a bit and Frank wonders what he’s thinking. “What makes you say that?” he asks.

“Your body...it’s so fucking...” Frank begins, letting his voice trail off before he says something he might regret. 

Mr. Way laughs, seeing the blush creeping up Frank’s neck. “Go on, finish that statement,” he prompts teasingly, leading Frank to the conclusion that Mr. Way might have a clue as to just how attractive he finds him.

“Uh...” Frank says, smiling embarrassedly and biting his lip as he realizes that no matter what he says, Mr. Way is gonna know he’s been checking him out. “It’s...fucking sexy,” he admits with a shy, adorable laugh which he stifles by taking another sip of his drink.

Mr. Way laughs again and Frank nearly melts at the way his eyes crinkle at the corners. “I didn’t know you were into guys. You know I’m more than twice your age, right?” he says with a playful smirk. 

“Yeah, I’m well-aware that you’re twice my age _and_ married _and_ my best friend’s dad...” says Frank, rolling his eyes as he lists off all the reasons why thinking about Mr. Way _like that_ is nothing but a pointless exercise in self-restraint. 

Mr. Way raises an eyebrow, looking surprised to hear that Frank sounds seriously disappointed about the circumstances. He pauses for a moment before speaking again. “Does Mikey know?” he asks carefully.

“Does he know what?” Frank asks, not quite sure what Mr. Way is asking.

“That you’re into guys...into me.”

Frank gives Mr. Way an incredulous look. “Yeah, _as if_ I’d tell my best friend that I have a crush on his dad,” he says, rolling his eyes again.

Mr. Way smirks. “Oh, so it’s a _crush_?” he asks teasingly. 

Frank blushes and quickly downs the rest of his drink, feeling drunk now and knowing he most definitely wouldn’t be having this sort of conversation with Mr. Way if he was sober. 

“Yeah, so what?” Frank says confidently, slurring his words a bit. “You should feel flattered that you’re even getting this kind of attention from someone my age,” he says cheekily.

Mr. Way laughs. “Oh yeah?” he says challengingly, folding his arms across his chest. “I should feel flattered that my teenaged son’s adorable best friend thinks I’m hot?”

Frank bites the inside of his lip to stop himself from smiling like a fool when he hears Mr. Way call him “adorable.” “That’s what I am to you? Adorable?” he says, feigning displeasure.

“Who the hell wouldn’t wanna be thought of as adorable?” asks Mr. Way. 

“Oh, yeah, ‘cause every eighteen-year-old boy wants to be called fucking _adorable_...” Frank says sarcastically while failing to hold back his smile. 

“You little shit, you fucking love it,” Mr. Way muses, laughing as he catches onto the little game Frank is playing here. 

Frank giggles a bit and then hiccups. “Yeah, you could literally call me anything and I’d still get on my knees for you,” he says drunkenly, his words completely bypassing his brain and instead immediately tumbling out of his mouth.

Mr. Way’s eyebrows go way up at hearing Frank’s latest comment. “Holy shit...” he says breathily, shifting on his feet a bit and looking at Frank a little differently now. “Did I hear you right?”

Frank nods, feeling pleased with himself as he enjoys watching the expression on Mr. Way’s face become more and more intrigued looking. “Does me saying that, like...make you uncomfortable?” he asks.

“No. It does make my dick a little hard though,” Mr. Way admits with a bit of a laugh, eyeing Frank up and down now. 

Frank smirks and feels himself blushing after hearing Mr. Way’s extremely forthcoming words. “Have you ever been sucked off by another guy before?” he asks curiously.

“Jesus Christ, Frankie...” Mr. Way says, looking and sounding flustered as he runs a hand through his hair, his face reddening as he shifts on his feet. He looks out the patio door, seeming to check to make sure that Mikey’s not on his way inside or anything. “I really shouldn’t be talking about this kinda stuff with you,” he says, sounding a little uneasy and torn between feeling turned on and curious and wanting to do the right thing here. 

“Why? We’re just talking...” says Frank innocently. 

Mr. Way shakes his head, smirking a bit. “You’re fucking trouble, kid,” he says. 

“I have more fun that way,” Frank says cheekily.

Just then the door to the garage swings open and Mr. Way quickly spins around as Mrs. Way walks into the kitchen with her hands full of shopping bags from a few designer clothing and accessory brands. “Hey, Gerard,” she says, setting the bags down on the countertop next to Frank’s empty glass.

“Hey, Linds,” Mr. Way says back, accepting a kiss on the cheek from his wife.

“Oh...hi, Frank,” she says, seeming surprised and less than thrilled to see him when she notices him sitting there at the island. “Where’s Mikey?” 

“Out by the pool, texting Alicia,” Frank replies, trying to sound casual and not like he’d just been heavily flirting with this woman’s husband. 

“Okay...” Mrs. Way replies, glancing down at the cocktail shaker and the bottles on the countertop. She looks up again and raises an eyebrow as she turns towards Gerard. “So, you’re making cocktails for our son’s friends now?” she asks, sounding displeased.

“It was one cocktail, and yeah, what’s the big deal?” Mr. Way says. 

Mrs. Way rolls her eyes and Frank can tell they’ll probably be discussing this matter later when he’s not around. She collects her shopping bags and turns to head out of the room. “I’m gonna go take a bath. You can figure out dinner.”

Frank and Mr. Way are silent until they hear the upstairs master bedroom door shut and the sound of water rushing through the pipes as the upstairs bath faucet is turned on. 

“God, did I really say, “what’s the big deal?” You’d think I haven’t been married for eighteen years...” says Mr. Way.

Frank chuckles. “Maybe I should go...” he says. “I’m feeling kinda sleepy from that drink and it seems like Mikey totally forgot that I’m even here, so...”

“Oh, okay, uh...do you need a ride home?”

“I’ve lived like five minutes away from your house for years, Mr. Way,” says Frank with a smirk, pleased with how flustered he’s appeared to have made the older man. “So, I think I’m good. Thanks for the offer though.”

Mr. Way goes a bit red in the face at hearing Frank’s response. “You can just call me Gerard, y’know,” he says.

“Oh...okay,” says Frank, smiling and hoping this means that Gerard is wanting to have a different sort of relationship with him now. He hops off of the barstool he’s sitting on. “I guess I’ll get going now then,” he says. 

“All right. See you later, kid.”


	2. Chapter 2

“Dude, I can’t believe you’re starting college in like two months,” Frank says with a sigh. It’s a warm summer’s night and he’s shirtless and lying on his back next to Mikey on top of the bedsheets with his hands clasped behind his head. It’s dark in the room except for the glow of Mikey’s phone screen as he lies next to Frank messaging Alicia, as usual. 

“Yeah, it’s pretty crazy,” says Mikey, putting his phone down for a moment. 

“Do you think you and Alicia will stay together? I mean, you’ll be at different schools, right?”

Mikey shrugs. “I dunno, honestly. We haven’t really thought that far ahead yet. I guess we’ll see what happens. I mean, it’d be awesome if we stayed together, but at the same time I can see her wanting to hook up with college guys and stuff...”

“Really? You think she’d break up with you so that she can go fuck some random college dudes?”

“I dunno, man. You know how some girls are like, obsessed with getting with older guys...”

Frank shifts a little bit where he’s laying. “Huh, yeah, I guess...” he says, suddenly thinking about Mikey’s dad.

“How come you never hooked up with anyone in high school or even dated anyone?”

“I dunno...I just...never met anyone who I wanted to be with,” Frank says honestly. “If that makes me a loser or something, then whatever,” he adds with a shrug.

“It doesn’t,” Mikey assures him. “Have you decided where you’re gonna work this summer?”

“I applied at a few places. I don’t really care where I get hired, honestly, just need to make some money,” says Frank. “The interview I had at Staples last week seemed to go well but I haven’t heard back from the manager.”

“Huh,” says Mikey, nodding as he locks his phone and sets it down on the bedside table.

“Hey...uh, how old is your dad?” Frank asks seemingly out of the blue.

“Uh...I think he’s like forty or something. Maybe forty-one? I can’t remember. Why?” 

Frank smiles to himself in the dark and shakes his head, just thinking about how sexy Gerard is for his age. “Nothing, just wondering,” he says, turning over onto his side.

“Okay...” Mikey says. “Good night,” he adds with a soft sigh. 

“Night,” says Frank, but he’s not tired yet. He lies awake in bed for a while until he hears Mikey begin snoring lightly.

Frank knows that Gerard hasn’t retreated to bed yet because yeah, he’s been listening out this entire time, and at this point he’s able to recognize what his footsteps sound like coming up the stairs. The only thing Frank had managed to say to Gerard today was a quick “hi, Mr. Way,” before Mikey had dragged him away upstairs to his bedroom, and Frank’s now feeling deprived of the interaction that he craves. A moment later, Frank carefully gets out of bed, trying not to wake Mikey, and opens the door before quietly heading downstairs. 

Downstairs is dark and quiet and there’s no sign of Gerard around, but then Frank notices that the outside back patio light is turned on and he heads over to the sliding glass door. His stomach drops pleasantly when he looks through the glass and sees Gerard sitting in the bubbling hot tub with his eyes closed and his head leaned back and his muscular arms outstretched along the edge of the tub. Frank swallows hard and feels his dick stiffen a little in his pyjama pants as he ogles the man’s gorgeous physique. Without thinking, he quietly opens the sliding door and steps outside into the warm night air before shutting the door behind him.

Gerard opens his eyes and looks up when he hears the sound of the door opening and closing and Frank watches the older man run a wet hand through his hair, looking a little flustered as he stares back at Frank.

“Hey, Frankie,” Gerard says, looking a little uneasy as he quickly glances behind Frank through the glass doors as though he’s checking to see whether the kid is alone or if Mikey's with him. “Shouldn’t you be asleep? It’s late...” he says.

“I can’t sleep,” Frank replies casually as he walks over to the hot tub, unable to tear his eyes away from Gerard’s chiseled upper body. “Can I...join you?” 

Gerard bites his lip, looking as though he’s trying to think of an excuse to say “no.” “Uh...I dunno if that’s a good idea, actually...” is all he manages to say before Frank is tugging his pyjama pants down his legs without warning, exposing his semi-hard dick while Gerard stares up at him with his mouth slightly hanging open. “Goddamn, are you fucking serious, kid?” he says exasperatedly, sounding irritated as he awkwardly looks away while Frank dips his naked body into the hot water and sits down across from him in the tub.

Frank laughs, amused by Gerard’s reaction to seeing him strip down right in front of him. “What? You’re acting like you’ve never seen another guy’s dick before,” he says with a smug little smirk on his face before sighing deeply as he gets used to the temperature of the water.

“It’s just a _little_ different when it’s your son’s best friend’s dick, y’know?” Gerard says somewhat sarcastically, his eyes slightly narrowed as he tilts his head to one side.

Frank smiles, somehow noticing the little beads of water (or sweat, Frank _hopes_ ) that are dripping from Gerard’s darkened armpit hairs which are exposed to the air as his arms are outstretched, resting along the edge of the hot tub. 

“How is it different?” asks Frank, raising an eyebrow as he meets Gerard’s eyes. “‘Cause you know you shouldn’t like what you see, but you do?”

Gerard is silent for a moment and just shakes his head, smirking a bit as he looks at Frank with this strange expression on his face that the kid can’t quite place. “You said it—not me,” he says smugly after a while.

Frank’s not gonna lie; he’s surprised that Gerard is actually going along with this and flirting back. He bites his lower lip, smiling as it sinks in that Gerard actually likes seeing his exposed body, maybe even wants to touch him... It’s just so surreal to him to be sitting naked in a hot tub across from his best friend’s extremely attractive dad and it’s taking all of his restraint to not just throw himself at the man. A pleasant shiver passes through him at the thought and he only realizes he’s been staring at Gerard’s lips this entire time when the man suddenly clears his throat, snapping him out of his trance. 

“What are you thinking about?”

“Kissing you,” Frank admits casually with an adorable smile. “I really wanna kiss you...”

Gerard chuckles and runs a wet hand through his hair, visibly flustered as his face goes slightly red. “How many guys have you kissed?” he asks curiously.

“Not nearly enough,” Frank replies cheekily.

Gerard laughs. “You should be kissing guys your own age, don’t you think?”

“Well, none of the guys my age look like _that_ ,” Frank says, gesturing to Gerard’s muscular body with his hand. “Like, just looking at you gets me so fucking hard...” he adds, biting his lip.

“Goddamn...” says Gerard, looking increasingly flustered as he shifts around where he’s sitting in the tub. “You don’t let up, do you?”

Frank smirks. “Nope. I’m relentless.”

“Yeah, relentlessly horny...” says Gerard with a chuckle.

Frank laughs and playfully splashes water in Gerard’s direction. “Don’t call me out like that, Mr. Way.”

"It’s Gerard, remember? And I can do whatever I want—my house, my rules.”

“Yeah, your rules...” says Frank, once again looking Gerard’s firm body up and down. “I’d let you do whatever you want to me...” he adds suggestively as he meets the older man’s eyes again. 

Gerard shakes his head again, looking at Frank lustfully, and lets out a somewhat defeated-sounding sigh. “Fuck it—get over here...” he says, gesturing with a quick nod of his head. 

With his heart pounding quickly with anticipation, Frank wades through the hot water across to Gerard until he’s standing right in front of the older man, right between his spread-open legs. He dazedly admires Gerard’s muscles up close, observing the way beads of water are rolling down his hairy chest, over his firm nipples... Before he even knows what he’s doing his palms are pressed against Gerard’s pecs and he’s squeezing them, feeling his dick begin to throb with how hard it is now. “Oh my God...” Frank whispers almost inaudibly.

Gerard chuckles. “You like that?” he asks softly, flexing his chest muscles as Frank feels them up. His arms are still resting along the edge of the hot tub almost as if he’s trying to avoid touching Frank’s body. 

“Fuck yeah,” Frank says, his voice still a whisper. He has to tilt his head up to meet Gerard’s eyes even though the man is sitting down and he’s standing up, and the size difference between them makes this situation so much hotter to Frank. 

“Look at you...” Gerard says, smiling as he gazes down at Frank who’s looking up at him with adorable puppy eyes. “So fucking cute...” he whispers.

Frank smiles up at Gerard—he’s so horny for him right now, like...every fantasy of his is coming true right before his eyes and he’s not sure how much more of this intense flirting he can handle without Gerard touching him or _some_ thing. Frank moves his hands to Gerard’s shoulders and goes up on his tip-toes to try to kiss him, but the man draws back before their lips even have a chance to connect. 

“Fuck...” Frank groans, setting his feet flat on the floor of the hot tub again as he lets out this frustrated whining noise that makes Gerard chuckle and shake his head. 

“I just wanna make something clear,” Gerard begins as Frank sensually rubs his bulging triceps up and down. “You get _one_ kiss—and only so that you’ll stop thirsting over me for like five minutes,” he says, smirking.

“Oh, okay, so this one kiss is purely just for _my_ enjoyment then?” 

“Yeah, I’m basically doing you a favour,” Gerard says in a joking manner.

“Yeah, okay,” Frank says with a little laugh, playfully rolling his eyes, eager to feel Gerard’s lips on his.

Gerard smiles and then leans in, finally closing the gap between their faces as their lips connect. Frank sighs into the kiss and squeezes Gerard’s upper arms as the older man shoves his tongue past his lips, exploring every corner of his mouth as they exchange saliva. Frank feels like he’s fucking floating as they make out intensely and he lets out a soft moan when Gerard gently tugs on his bottom lip with his teeth. Gerard starts to pull away, then, but Frank whines and chases his lips with his own until Gerard firmly grabs a handful of his hair and pulls back, forcing their lips apart as Frank’s head is now leaned back so he’s looking up at the starry sky, completely under Gerard’s control.

“Don’t get greedy now, baby; I said _one_ kiss...” Gerard says in a low, scolding voice.

Frank’s just in a daze, surprised by how much he enjoys Gerard pulling his hair like this, controlling him, disciplining him... He feels the man’s grip begin to loosen in his hair now and he brings his head forward, meeting Gerard’s eyes once again as he breathes hard from the intensity of their last interaction. 

“I need more, Gerard...please?” Frank begs, his eyes pleading. “Can you at least...touch me or something?”

“God, we really shouldn’t be doing this, Frankie...” Gerard says, suddenly looking and sounding a little uneasy as though he hadn’t planned for things to go this far. “I shouldn’t have kissed you—it was wrong.”

“So what?” Frank says, pressing his body even closer up against Gerard’s body until his erection is poking against the man’s rock-hard abs, causing him to bite his lip and give Frank a disapproving look at the same time. “We both wanted it...” Frank continues.

“That’s not the p—oh _shit_ ,” says Gerard, his expression changing as he looks up towards the second story of the house. “You need to go—the light in Mikey’s room just went on,” he says with quiet urgency. 

“Shit,” says Frank, noticing the light, too, and feeling nervous butterflies in his stomach as he gets out of the hot tub. As he pulls his pyjama pants back on he catches Gerard staring at his body and he smiles to himself, knowing this isn’t over yet.

“Get inside—just tell him you were getting a drink or something,” says Gerard.

“Yeah, okay,” says Frank, nodding as he adjusts his erection in his pants. “Hey, uh...you should hit me up next time you have the house to yourself...if you want.”

“And you should get your cute ass inside, _now_ , Frankie,” Gerard reiterates in a loud whisper, shooing Frank away somewhat playfully as he holds back a smile. 

Frank smiles and nods and turns to leave. _Yeah, this is_ definitely _not over..._ he thinks to himself.


	3. Chapter 3

Frank hasn’t been alone with Gerard in over a week now and last night he pretty much had to beg Mikey to reschedule the plans he had with Alicia and let him stay over at his place instead so he could possibly catch another moment alone with his dad. To Frank’s disappointment though, he’d only seen Gerard for a few minutes in the kitchen just as the older man had gotten home from work. Gerard had looked tired and drained after coming home from a long day, but his hazel eyes had brightened up a little when he’d met Frank’s green ones as he’d sat in the kitchen eating dinner with Mikey. 

This morning, Frank gets out of bed while Mikey’s still asleep as soon as he hears Gerard’s footsteps going downstairs. It’s a Saturday morning and Frank knows Gerard isn’t going in to work today so he’s hoping to at least get to have a conversation alone with him before Mikey and Mrs. Way come downstairs. Frank has been pining for Gerard so hard ever since they’d made out in the hot tub a week ago—the man is literally all Frank thinks about. His mind keeps thinking back to Gerard calling him “cute” and then kissing him and then pulling his hair practically all in the same breath; it makes him so curious to know what it would be like to fuck him. He imagines that Gerard would be both sweet and dominant and he can’t help making up scenarios in his head about it to jerk off to...

Frank walks into the kitchen and finds Gerard standing at the counter, facing away from him as he washes some fruits and vegetables in the sink. He silently admires the man’s sexy, muscular arms in the black tank top he’s wearing before he speaks. “Morning, Gerard,” he says, pausing in the middle of the kitchen until Gerard turns around.

Gerard looks a little surprised when he sees Frank standing there. “Oh, good morning,” he says with a smile. “You’re up early,” he comments, looking over at the digital clock on the microwave oven which reads 7:24 a.m. before going back to what he’s doing.

Frank goes to sit down at one of the barstools in front of the island countertop. “Yeah, well, it seems like this is the only way I’m ever gonna get to talk to you again, so...”

“You got up early just to talk to me?” asks Gerard, curiously looking over his shoulder at Frank. 

Frank feels embarrassed suddenly, realizing how pathetic that sounds when Gerard says it out loud. “Well, no, I just, like...happened to be awake...when you were awake...” he lies, his voice trailing off as he mentally kicks himself, thinking he sounds stupid.

Gerard shrugs. “It’s okay if you did, you know. It’s actually kinda nice having someone around who really wants to see me.”

Frank smiles, relieved that Gerard doesn’t think of him as like this weird kid who’s obsessed with him or something. “Okay, well, yeah, that’s literally the only reason I’m down here right now, to be honest,” he admits with a little laugh.

Gerard chuckles. “You’re sweet,” he says, turning around to face Frank, who’s now blushing as he sits there. “So, anyway...I’m going for a hike this morning—wanna join me?”

Frank’s eyes light up at the fact that Gerard is actually asking him to hang out because it means he must enjoy his company, which in turn makes Frank feel ecstatic. “Uh, yeah, I would love to,” he says, nodding and trying not to look overly excited about getting to spend time alone with Gerard.

“Okay. Can you ask Mikey if he wants to come, too?”

Frank’s face falls. “Oh...so, it’s not gonna be just us?” he asks.

“Mikey’s not gonna come; he hasn’t been hiking with me in like three years. I just don’t want to upset him by not inviting him, too, y’know?” 

“Oh, yeah, for sure, I get that,” says Frank, feeling relieved again. “I’ll ask him.”

“I’m leaving around eight o’ clock so you might wanna ask him now.”

“Oh, okay,” says Frank, getting up from his seat. He doesn’t really want to leave Gerard but then he thinks about how they’re literally going to be spending all morning together and soon he can’t help the huge grin that spreads across his face as he heads back upstairs to Mikey’s bedroom. “Mikey, wake up,” he says, sitting down on the chair in front of Mikey’s desk once he’s back in the room.

Mikey stirs where he’s lying in bed and then turns over onto his side to face Frank. “What time is it?” he asks groggily, reaching for his glasses which are on the bedside table and putting them on. 

“It’s like seven-thirty,” Frank replies, spinning around on the swivel chair a bit.

Mikey groans. “Then why the fuck are you awake?” he asks, rolling onto his back.

“Your dad invited us to go hiking with him. He said he’s leaving at eight.”

“Yeah? And?” says Mikey expectantly.

“And...I wanna go?”

“Seriously?” says Mikey. “Dude, my dad hikes for _hours_ —he’s fucking crazy. I don’t even know if you’d be able to keep up with him, honestly.”

Frank laughs. “I like a challenge,” he says. 

Mikey rolls his eyes. “Whatever, man,” he says, shaking his head. “Can’t believe you actually want to hang out with my dad.”

“Why? Your dad’s awesome,” says Frank. “I like him a lot, actually.”

“Well, I mean, sure he lets us drink and stuff and he doesn’t get upset if I stay out late, but him and I don’t really have anything in common. We barely even talk to each other except for on the rare occasions that we actually eat dinner together as a family or when there’s a hockey game on that we both wanna see.”

“At least he actually gives a shit about you though,” says Frank, thinking about the nonexistent relationship he has with his own dad. 

“Yeah, shit...sorry, man,” Mikey says. “That was kinda selfish of me to say.”

“It’s all good,” says Frank with a shrug.

“I guess my dad’s like, the closest thing you have to a dad right now. Sometimes I forget that.”

“Mikey, it’s cool,” Frank assures his friend. “What are you doing later?” he asks, quickly changing the subject. 

“I’ll be at Alicia’s all day but we can chill tonight if you’re free.”

“Yeah, I’m down. I might as well just come back here with your dad after the hike, hey?”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

“Do your parents ever go hiking together?”

Mikey laughs. “Have you _ever_ seen my parents hang out? They completely do their own things. It seems like they’re just roommates a lot of the time. I don’t even think they sleep in the same bed anymore.”

“Seriously?” says Frank. “I’ve definitely noticed they don’t really fuck with each other that much, but I didn’t know it was like _that_...”

“Oh, yeah, it’s been like that for quite some time now...” says Mikey. “I mean, it’s not like they’re gonna go around advertising it. People like to maintain a certain image of perfection. You know how it is...”

“Yeah, for sure,” says Frank, nodding thoughtfully. He can kind of see how unhappy Gerard is and even though it makes him feel guilty knowing that he’s basically helping to destroy Mikey’s parents’ marriage, at the same time he thinks Gerard deserves to be happy and do what he wants to do, because he obviously hasn’t been doing that from what it sounds like.

Frank and Mikey chat for a bit longer until there’s a knock on the door.

“Come in,” Mikey responds. 

Gerard opens the door and pokes his head into the room, looking at Mikey. “Hey, are you coming hiking with us?” he asks, then looking at Frank, whom his eyes linger on for a moment. “I’m leaving in a few minutes.”

“No, I’m gonna go hang out with Alicia today.”

“All right. You coming, Frankie?” Gerard asks, sounding like he thinks Frank may have changed his mind after talking to Mikey.

“Yeah,” Frank says enthusiastically, immediately standing up from the chair and heading towards the door. “See you tonight, Mikey,” he says before he heads out, following Gerard downstairs.

“You’re coming over again tonight?” Gerard asks when they’re in the kitchen. He grabs two bottles full of green, grainy-looking sludge (at least that’s what it resembles to Frank) from off the countertop and hands one of the bottles to Frank.

“Yeah,” Frank replies distractedly, staring at the bottle in his hands with scrutiny while Gerard grabs his keys and swings a hiking backpack over one of his shoulders. “What is this?” he asks, holding up the bottle.

“It’s a smoothie,” Gerard replies, looking like he’s all set to leave now.

Frank wrinkles his nose. “Why is it _green_?” he asks.

“It’s from the kale,” says Gerard. “That smoothie is one of the healthiest breakfasts you can have before a hike. You need the energy—trust me. Now, let’s go.”

Frank follows Gerard through the door to the garage and gets into the front passenger’s seat of the black SUV while Gerard puts his backpack into the trunk. Before long they’re on the road and Frank is forcing himself to drink the smoothie Gerard had made for him although he’s really not enjoying the taste nor the texture of the drink. Gerard looks over and chuckles a bit, probably noticing the less than thrilled expression on Frank’s face as he swallows a mouthful of the thick, green smoothie.

“Do you want me to finish yours?” Gerard asks, looking like he’s holding back a laugh.

“Yes, please,” Frank says, nodding, relieved as he puts the bottle down in the drink holder between their seats. 

“It’s sort of an acquired taste, I guess,” Gerard says with a chuckle, taking a sip from the bottle that was just on Frank’s lips. “Do you want a protein bar instead? You should eat _some_ thing—this hike isn’t gonna be a walk in the park.”

“Thanks, but I’m not really hungry...” says Frank. 

“All right. Well, I brought some trail mix and stuff in case you do get hungry later.” 

It’s not long before Gerard parks the car near the mouth of the hiking trail and they both get out of the car, with Gerard heading to the back of the vehicle to open the trunk and grab his backpack which he then slings onto his back. 

“So, how long is this hike?” Frank asks, panting as they walk up the inclined trail which is heavily wooded on either side. It’s not a particularly sunny day but the air is humid and warm and it’s making Frank’s T-shirt stick to his body after thirty minutes of hiking. Gerard is several paces ahead of him and Frank is trying his best to keep up with him while his quads are burning already from the exertion of walking uphill. 

“Depends on how many times I have to stop for you,” Gerard says with a smirk, pausing once again so that Frank can catch up to him. “But I usually get to the top in about ninety minutes.” 

“Holy shit,” Frank says breathlessly when he’s next to Gerard again. The older man doesn’t seem winded in the slightest and Frank is amazed. “That’s fucking long.”

“You gonna make it?” Gerard asks as he continues to walk, looking over at Frank.

“Yeah, totally,” says Frank, panting as he nods, feigning confidence.

After another hour they’re still not at the top yet and Frank is practically dying: he’s starting to see black spots in his vision and he feels like he might actually throw up from how exhausted he is. The next thing Frank knows, he’s falling hard onto his knees in the rocky dirt after tripping over a tree root or something and Gerard is turning around on the trail and rushing over to him.

“You okay?” Gerard asks, squatting down beside Frank on the trail and gently placing a hand on his back.

Frank shakes his head. “I don’t feel too good...” he admits.

“Here, you should drink something...” Gerard says. He takes his backpack off, takes out the bottle of water that they’ve been sharing and hands it to Frank who takes a few big gulps of it before handing it back to Gerard. 

“Thanks,” says Frank, smiling a little as he looks up at Gerard. “Thought I was gonna pass out for a minute there.”

“Shit, I’m glad you didn’t,” says Gerard. “I really want to show you the view at the top but I don’t want to push your body any further. Can I carry you the rest of the way?”

Frank’s heart melts at Gerard’s offer. “Uh, yes, please,” he says with a sweet smile.

Gerard smiles back. “Okay. Let’s get you up...” he says. He stands and hooks his hands underneath Frank’s armpits before effortlessly lifting the boy to his feet. “Damn, your knees are pretty banged up...” he observes, looking down.

“Oh, shit, yeah,” says Frank, looking down and noticing his two bloody knees.

“I’ll get that cleaned up for you once we get to the top,” says Gerard, pushing a bit of hair out of Frank’s eyes, making the kid blush.

“Okay,” Frank says, staring dreamily up at Gerard, melting at the fact that the man is taking such good care of him. “Thank you,” he adds, wondering if Gerard realizes how much he wants to kiss him right now.

Gerard bites his lip and breaks the intense stare they’ve been sharing, instead reaching for his backpack and hoisting it up and onto his back. He then literally sweeps Frank off his feet, easily picking him up and carrying him bridal-style in his arms.

“Holy shit!” Frank exclaims, laughing as he wraps both of his arms around Gerard’s shoulders and looks up at the man in awe as he resumes hiking up the trail carrying Frank in his arms. “You’re so strong...” Frank comments dreamily, continuing to stare up at the older man, admiring the sexy stubble that’s creating a shadow along his chin and jawline.

Gerard just chuckles and then looks down at Frank and kisses his forehead sweetly. Frank is so relieved that Gerard is carrying him right now because he most definitely would have fainted if the man had kissed his forehead like that while he was standing on his feet. 

They get to the top of the first tier of the mountain about thirty minutes later and then Gerard puts Frank back down on his feet.

“Let me clean up the cuts on your knees and then we can check out the view,” says Gerard. He directs Frank to sit down on top of a large rock while he takes off his backpack and then kneels down in front of him.

“Thanks for carrying me,” Frank says as Gerard gets some first aid supplies out of his backpack.

“No problem,” Gerard says. “Your cardio is shit,” he says with a smirk, looking up for a second.

Frank laughs. “I know,” he says. “It’s kind of embarrassing.”

“I could train you, if you want? Like...we could work out together sometimes?”

“Yeah, okay,” Frank says, nodding. He looks down at Gerard, watching him intently as he cleans up his cuts and then puts bandaids on them. He can’t believe how fucking sweet and sexy this man is and all he wants right now is to kiss him again...

Gerard looks up and smiles. “I know that look...” he says with a bit of a chuckle.

Frank smiles back, biting his bottom lip, nodding slightly, hoping that this is an invitation. Without breaking eye contact, he reaches forward and carefully places his hands on Gerard’s firm shoulders before leaning in close, ghosting his lips against the older man’s before finally pressing his lips against them firmly. Gerard kisses back immediately, shoving his tongue past Frank’s parted lips as if he’s been longing for this just as much as Frank has for the past week. 

“Baby...” Gerard says breathily when their lips part. He’s staring up at Frank with this intense, smouldering look in his eyes that’s making Frank’s dick get harder by the second.

“Yeah...” Frank says knowingly, squeezing Gerard’s shoulders as they continue to stare at each other intensely. His heart is pounding and he wishes that Gerard would just touch him; he needs it so badly...he can tell that the man is holding back for whatever reason and it’s making him so frustrated. “I want you so fucking bad...” 

“God, Frankie...” Gerard says, looking down for a moment and shaking his head. “I’m so attracted to you...it’s crazy,” he says as he looks up and meets Frank’s gaze again.

Frank blushes and smiles. “Really?” he asks, suddenly feeling shy.

“Yeah,” Gerard says, smiling back, nodding. “I just feel so guilty though...”

“For what?”

“For wanting to touch you...fuck you...make you feel incredible...”

A strong and pleasant shiver passes through Frank’s body at hearing the boldness of Gerard’s words. “You have no idea how much I want that,” he admits longingly.

“It feels so wrong though...to want you in that way when you’re Mikey’s best friend, not to mention a teenager who’s half my age.”

“It feels good, too, though, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah. Too fucking good...” Gerard admits, his eyes hungrily settling on Frank’s saliva-moistened lips before pressing his own against them again. 

Frank gets pleasant butterflies in his stomach as Gerard slides his hands up his thighs over his shorts before resting them firmly on his hips as he pushes his body firmly between Frank’s knees as they kiss, spreading them open just by taking up space. 

“If Mikey ever found out...he would never speak to either of us again,” Gerard says, his breath hot against Frank’s lips, his words sounding as though he’s trying to deter the boy from wanting to continue whatever kind of relationship it is they’ve started. 

“Well, we’ll have to be extra careful then, won’t we?” Frank whispers enticingly before once again closing the gap between their lips and kissing Gerard.

Gerard sighs into the kiss and tightens his grip on Frank’s slender hips for a second before parting their lips once again. “C’mon, let me show you that view...” he says, getting to his feet and holding out his hand to Frank who takes it and follows his lead to the edge of the top of the mountain landing, feeling as though he’s floating on a cloud the entire time as they look out over the tops of the mountain forest trees. 

Hiking down the mountain is much easier for Frank than it was to hike up it; he’s actually able to keep up with Gerard this time. They’re not talking much as they both seem to be deep in thought, but it’s a comfortable silence and they both keep glancing over at each other and smiling. After a while, Frank reaches for Gerard’s hand and they lace their fingers together as they continue to walk down the trail.

Gerard looks over at Frank with a curious expression on his face. “Can I ask you something?” he says.

“You just did,” Frank replies with a little smirk.

Gerard rolls his eyes and then speaks. “How come you haven’t told Mikey that you’re into guys?”

Frank pauses for a moment. “How come you haven’t told your wife?” he counters.

Gerard raises an eyebrow. “‘Cause you’re the only guy I’ve ever been into.”

“Yeah, okay...” Frank scoffs, sounding sceptical. “Anyway, I don’t see the harm in me not telling Mikey that I’m gay. Why’d you even ask me that?”

Gerard shrugs. “I was just curious. It’s surprising considering you two have been best friends for years.”

“I don’t have to tell anyone shit if I don’t want to. And I don’t want to,” Frank says irritably.

“All right...” Gerard says calmly, clearly wanting to change the subject now. “I was just curious.”

Frank sighs. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to be snarky about it. I just hate being expected to do things.”

“It’s all good,” says Gerard. “I don’t really know how this all works...”

“How what all works? Being gay or bi or whatever?”

“No, just...being with another guy in general.”

Frank smiles to himself, noticing how Gerard is obviously dodging admitting the fact that he’s not straight even though they literally just made out and he’d told Frank he wants to fuck him.

It takes them about half the time to get back down the mountain and when they get to the car Gerard opens the hatchback and throws his backpack inside before shutting the door. They both get into the front seats and Frank puts his hand on Gerard’s, stopping him just before he starts the engine.

“Wait,” Frank says.

“What?” 

“Let’s do something...” Frank says suggestively, putting his hand on Gerard’s muscular thigh and sliding it up towards his cock...

Gerard quickly and firmly grabs Frank’s wrist, stopping the boy before he has a chance to touch him. “Frankie...” he says, seemingly struggling to find words to say as he looks back at Frank with this unsure expression on his face. “We shouldn’t...”

“You just told me you wanted to fuck me and stuff though...” Frank says needily, desperately wanting to be close to Gerard.

“Yeah, I _want_ to, but that doesn’t mean I think that we should...”

Frank sighs frustratedly as Gerard loosens his grip on his wrist. “Okay, whatever...” he says, shaking his head. He can’t help feeling slightly annoyed at Gerard’s timidity. Like, it’s so obvious he wants this, too; Frank just can’t understand why he won’t just give in and do what he wants.

“You have to realize that I have a lot more to lose than you do if anyone were to find out, Frankie. I’d basically lose my marriage, my family...”

“Yeah, and you’re so _happily_ married, right...” Frank says sarcastically.

Gerard’s brow furrows. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” 

“Mikey says you and your wife aren’t even sleeping in the same bed anymore.”

Gerard’s expression changes. “That’s none of your business.”

Frank shrugs. “Well, I can’t help what Mikey tells me...”

Gerard looks pissed as he starts the car’s engine and starts driving and Frank sort of regrets commenting on his marriage like that.

“I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, it’s fine,” Gerard says, not looking over at Frank and still looking pissed off. “I don’t think you should come over later.”

Frank’s heart sinks. “What? Why?” he asks. “I already have plans with Mikey.”

“Ask him to hang out with you at your place instead.”

“You don’t wanna see me?” Frank asks, feeling like he’ll cry if that’s the case.

Gerard sighs. “I just...I think we need to stay away from each other.”

Frank nods as he wipes the fallen tears off his cheeks. He’s absolutely heartbroken that Gerard doesn’t want him around anymore. They don’t speak to each other for the rest of the ride and as soon as Gerard pulls into the driveway of his house Frank gets out of the car without saying goodbye and runs to his front door. When he gets inside he immediately goes upstairs to his room and collapses onto his bed, sobbing and feeling like his heart has been ripped in half. He’s so frustrated with Gerard basically playing with his emotions—one minute he’s telling him how attracted he is to him and all this stuff, and the next minute he’s telling him they shouldn’t see each other. Frank is just so tired and he’s not sure what’s going to happen between them now...


	4. Chapter 4

It’s been two weeks since Frank had gone hiking with Gerard and he’s still feeling miserable about how they’d left things, with Gerard telling him they should stay away from each other and him rushing out of the car, crying. Frank has been at Mikey’s house a few times since then, but every time he’d seen Gerard, the man would quickly leave the room or just ignore him altogether. Frank has been trying not to care; he reminds himself that Gerard is married, that there are other guys—younger guys—out there who would be more suitable for him to waste his time with.

It’s a hot summer’s day and Frank is lying around in bed in his boxers checking his social media when he suddenly gets an incoming phone call from Gerard. His stomach flip-flops nervously while he stares at the screen, trying to decide whether or not to answer, wondering why the hell he’s even calling. Maybe he’s looking for Mikey? Frank has no idea. He takes a deep breath before accepting the call and putting the phone up to his ear.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Frankie,” Gerard says on the other end.

“Um...hi. Why are you calling me?”

“Can you come over?”

Frank pauses for a moment, surprised at what he’s just been asked. “What? What happened to “we should stay away from each other?””

“Can you come over or not?” asks Gerard impatiently, ignoring Frank’s question. “Mikey and Lindsey won’t be home for another couple hours...”

Frank sighs, frustrated at how much he wants to see Gerard, at how easily he gives in to him. “Okay, yeah, I guess so...” he says.

“Good. Don’t wait. I’ll see you soon.”

“Hey—“ Frank says before Gerard has a chance to hang up. “Next time just text me.”

Gerard chuckles. “Why?” he asks. “So you can ignore the message for a few hours until you finally feel like replying, like Mikey does?”

“You’re like, the only person I know who still makes voice calls. You’re lucky I even picked up.”

“I feel lucky,” Gerard says smugly. “See you soon, Frankie,” he adds conclusively before hanging up.

Frank rolls his eyes and sighs, staring up at the ceiling as he rests his phone on top of his chest. Gerard seems to really want him to come over right now and Frank’s confused as to why he suddenly wants to see him so desperately after what he’d said the last time they were alone together. Nevertheless, he throws a shirt and some shorts on before grabbing his board and skating over to the Ways’ house.

Frank can’t help the smile that’s forming on his face after he knocks on the front door and hears Gerard’s footsteps approaching from behind it. As much as Gerard’s indecisiveness has been frustrating him, he feels nothing but excitement at the fact that they’re going to be spending time alone together again. When the door swings open Frank’s jaw drops when he sees Gerard standing there shirtless, hair dampened as though he’s just stepped out of the shower, wearing these grey sweatpants that clearly show off the outline of his hard cock beneath the fabric. 

“You coming in?” Gerard asks, a slight smirk on his face as he observes Frank’s dazed-looking facial expression as he stares at his body. 

“Uh...” Frank begins, seemingly unable to speak as his eyes are glued to the large bulge at the front of Gerard’s pants. His heart is pounding with arousal; he almost doesn’t notice when Gerard pulls him inside by the hand and shuts the door behind him. 

“You okay?” Gerard asks carefully, seeming unsure, probably because Frank hasn’t uttered a single coherent sentence yet. 

Frank nods immediately, looking up to meet Gerard’s eyes now. “Yeah, I’m good, I just...wasn’t expecting...” Frank’s voice tails off and he blushes, looking down at Gerard’s significantly large bulge again, biting his lip, trying to show some restraint and not just go for it. 

Gerard laughs a bit, seeming to enjoy watching Frank blushing and checking him out. “What were you expecting then? I thought it was obvious when I told you I had the house to myself.”

Frank shakes his head, still sort of struggling to speak with what’s right here in front of him. “I just don’t get why you changed your mind about seeing me.”

Gerard sighs and runs a hand through his damp hair. “Honestly, Frankie...I just couldn’t stop thinking about you,” he admits. 

Frank can’t help smiling after hearing that and he steps closer to Gerard until they’re close enough for the man to put his hands on his hips and kiss him deeply. Frank moans lightly into the kiss and drapes his arms over Gerard’s broad shoulders, feeling the man’s erection pressing into his abdomen as they make out, making his own dick begin to stiffen in his shorts.

“Upstairs...” Gerard says needily between kisses, taking Frank’s hand and leading him down the front hall to the staircase.

Before Frank knows it they’re upstairs in the master bedroom. In all the years that he’s known Mikey he’s never been inside this room before—it’s pretty spacious with a king size bed and an en-suite bathroom and a few large windows which are letting in the bright sunlight. Frank is pleased when Gerard kisses him again a moment later and he feels the man begin pulling up his shirt; he immediately parts their lips to let him pull the garment up and over his head before tossing it onto the floor.

“Wanna make you feel so good, Frankie... Do you want that?”

“Yeah,” Frank says breathily against Gerard’s lips, nodding. “Fuck yeah.”

Gerard smiles and pulls down both Frank’s shorts and his boxers in one movement and then Frank carefully steps out of them while Gerard watches him, admiring his naked body which he’s now seeing for the second time. Gerard then forcefully spins Frank around so he’s facing away from him and then firmly wraps his arms around the boy’s waist, pulling his body up close against his so that his small, cute ass is pressed up against his hard cock while he kisses his neck from behind.

Frank can barely contain the moan that escapes his lips when he feels Gerard‘s hand wrap firmly around his dick and start jerking him off slowly while still hungrily kissing his neck, definitely leaving marks as he sucks on the boy’s soft skin.

“Oh my God...” Frank moans, throwing his head back against Gerard’s shoulder, exposing his throat which Gerard wraps his left hand around, squeezing lightly, teasingly.

“That fucking good, baby?” Gerard whispers in his ear, gently gliding his thumb through the pre-cum at the tip of Frank’s cock as he continues to jerk him off. “That what you wanted?”

“Fuck yes, Gerard...” Frank moans, not even caring how loud he’s being or how desperate he sounds. 

Gerard seems to smile and gingerly kisses behind Frank’s ear a few times before whispering into it. “You’re such a good boy, Frankie...” he praises, moving his left hand from around Frank’s throat to rub against his firm nipples, making Frank moan and whimper even more. 

Frank can hardly take the amount of pleasure he’s feeling, the way that he’s turned on to the max right now. He’s really never hooked up with anyone before and this is like going from zero to a hundred in terms of the experience he has, or lack thereof. He feels like he’s about to come already but he’s too close to even warn Gerard...

Gerard suddenly stops jerking Frank off, as if reading his mind, drops his hand from around his cock and then spins Frank around to face him. “Not gonna let you come that quickly,” he says, smirking a bit, probably noticing how fucking dazed Frank looks right now. “God, you’re so sexy, baby...” he comments, looking the boy’s body up and down before kissing him hard on the mouth again. 

Frank moans into the kiss, feeling extremely turned on and really desperately wanting to suck Gerard’s cock. He slips his hand down the front of Gerard’s sweatpants and lets out a little whimper of surprise when he feels that the man isn’t wearing any underwear as his fingers brush against his hard cock. He wraps his small hand around the thick shaft, loving how big it feels in his hand, and his mouth is practically watering for it.

“You want that dick?” Gerard asks teasingly, messily sliding his saliva-moistened lips all over Frank’s as he speaks, tangling his fingers in his hair, pulling hard so that the boy’s head goes back, allowing him to attach his lips to the front of his throat, gliding the tip of his tongue from the kid’s Adam’s apple and back up to his lips before shoving his tongue past his lips and kissing him again.

Frank just nods dazedly as he stares up at Gerard, feeling about ready to pass out from how fucking good he feels. Gerard then walks them backwards until his legs are against the edge of the bed and then he pulls his sweatpants down and sits on the edge of the bed, staring at Frank with a little smirk on his face as the boy stares down at his exposed cock.

“Holy shit...” Frank whispers, immediately dropping to his knees between Gerard’s legs.

Gerard chuckles a bit. “You like it?” he asks, affectionately tangling his fingers in Frank’s hair.

Frank nods, looking up at Gerard now as he places his palms against the man’s hairy, muscular thighs, gripping them tightly while Gerard plays with his hair with one hand and guides his cock to his mouth with the other, teasingly gliding the tip of it against the boy’s soft, moist lips. “Yeah, it’s fucking huge...” Frank says before finally enveloping the head into his warm, waiting mouth.

Gerard groans and throws his head back, his fingers tightening their grip in Frank’s hair as the kid begins bobbing his head up and down, taking the man’s cock deeper into his mouth each time he does. “Where’d you learn how to suck dick like that? Holy fuck...” Gerard says breathily.

Frank looks up at Gerard with a mischievous look in his eyes as he continues to suck him off, loving how his cock feels hitting the back of his throat, how his eyes are watering, how it’s all making him feel so dirty and sexy...

“Are you my good boy, baby?” Gerard asks, looking down at Frank as he strokes his hair, making the boy feel pleasant butterflies in his stomach. “Are you daddy’s good boy?”

Frank pulls his mouth off of Gerard’s cock so that he can reply properly, and he looks up at the man with adorable doe eyes. “Yes, daddy. All yours...just yours and no one else’s...” he says before rubbing his face and cheeks all over Gerard’s cock, practically worshipping it.

“Oh _fuck_ , baby...” Gerard groans. “You’re so fucking cute and sexy,” he says before leaning over and tilting Frank’s chin up so that he can kiss him.

Frank moans into Gerard’s mouth and is a little surprised when he feels the man hook his hands underneath his armpits and lift him to his feet before lying down on the bed and motioning for Frank to get on top of him. Frank starts to climb on top with his head at the same end as Gerard’s, but then Gerard stops him.

“Other way,” Gerard says, laughing a bit when he sees Frank’s surprised expression. “I wanna play with your hole...”

Frank didn’t think his dick could get any harder than it is right now, but it fucking does. He turns around and straddles Gerard’s body with his knees so that his ass is above the man’s face and his mouth is right above Gerard’s cock. He looks back and sees Gerard get some spit on his fingers before he feels one of them firmly pressing against his tight hole until the tip of it finally slips inside. Frank gasps and then moans loudly as he squeezes his eyes shut—he was totally unprepared for how good this feels. He’s fingered his own ass before while getting himself off, but he finds that it feels so much better when it’s someone else doing it.

“Baby...” Gerard whispers, their eyes still intensely locked together as Frank continues to look back at him. “Your hole feels so damn good...so tight for me, Frankie...”

“I want you to fuck me so badly...” Frank blurts out, not even caring how fucking desperate he sounds, just knowing it’s all he wants.

Gerard chuckles a bit, affectionately feeling up Frank’s asscheeks with his free hand while the other fingers him nice and slow, gradually getting deeper and deeper. “I think we may have to work up to that...I can’t see you being able to take my cock right now with how damn tight your hole feels...” he says. Frank whines a bit, impatient, and tries to tell Gerard that he’s ready, but Gerard’s not having it. “We’ll have to train this pretty hole, baby...it’ll be fun...” he says, pulling Frank’s hips back, suddenly driving his finger all the way inside of him, making the boy gasp and moan once more.

Frank leans forward and takes Gerard’s cock into his mouth again, trying to deepthroat it and ending up gagging and sputtering all over it, getting saliva all over his face and all over Gerard’s cock, which the man seems to love. Frank moans with his mouth filled up when he feels Gerard begin to jerk him off while he’s still fingering his ass, eventually pulling his finger out and replacing it with his tongue, beginning to lick and kiss all over Frank’s tight opening. 

“Oh my God... _daddy_...” Frank moans, his voice muffled by the cock in his mouth. “You’re gonna make me come...” 

Gerard quickens his pace on jerking Frank’s cock back and forth, practically milking the cum out of him as he switches back to fingering the boy’s tight asshole. “Yeah, blow that load for me, baby boy...show daddy how good he’s making you feel...” Gerard says gruffly, sounding like he’s getting close to orgasming, too.

Frank can’t take it anymore—Gerard’s dirty-talk sends him over the edge and he feels his orgasm ripple through his body, making him shudder rhythmically as ropes of cum spurt out of his cock and onto Gerard’s stomach below him. “Holy _fuck_...” Frank moans, feeling totally spent as he takes Gerard’s cock into his mouth again, sucking on it hard as Gerard slows his pace on working his own cock and removes the finger from his hole.

“The way your hole got so tight around my fingers when you came...so fucking sexy, baby...can’t wait ‘til it’s my cock you have in your ass while you’re blowing your load,” Gerard says, his voice strained, sounding like he’s just about to come.

A moment later Frank’s mouth is being filled with Gerard’s warm load while he groans and pants as his body shudders and twitches beneath Frank, and he’s swallowing it all, wanting to be such a good boy for his “daddy.” It’s Frank’s first time having anyone come into his mouth and he finds it so sexy and definitely something he could get used to. 

“Come here...turn around...” says Gerard, breathing hard.

Frank turns his body around so he’s face-to-face with Gerard as he straddles the man’s body and Gerard immediately pulls him down into a passionate kiss, tangling his hands in the kid’s hair, telling him what a good boy he is in between intense kisses... Frank can hardly believe that this has actually just happened—he finally hooked up with his best friend’s dad and it was fucking amazing. Frank eventually rolls off of Gerard’s body and just lies next to him, feeling completely relaxed and like he could just fall asleep right here with his head resting on top of Gerard’s rising and falling chest...

“You should get home soon, Frankie...” Gerard says softly, affectionately kissing the top of Frank’s head.

Frank sighs, knowing that Gerard is right but wishing they could just lie here like this all day. “You’re _so_ comfy though...” Frank says, giggling a bit and snuggling up even closer to Gerard, making the man smile.

Gerard gently caresses Frank’s hip, just looking at him, making Frank wonder what he’s thinking. “Let’s get dressed, come on,” he says then, sitting up.

Frank sighs again and they begin to get dressed, watching each other, smiling every now and then when their eyes meet, thinking about how amazing what they’ve just done was. Soon they’re at the front door again and Gerard is wrapping Frank up in a tight hug just before he opens the door, letting Frank out.

“When can I see you again?” asks Frank, already excited about the next time.

Gerard smiles at the boy endearingly. “I’ll text you,” he says.


	5. Chapter 5

“Frankie, there is no way in hell that you’re wearing _that_ shirt outside of this house,” Linda, Frank’s mom, says when her son finally comes downstairs and walks into the living room where she’s sitting on the couch. Linda has been down here waiting for Frank to finally be ready to leave for Mikey’s graduation party for almost twenty minutes now.

Frank is wearing black skinny-jeans with a collared sheer black short-sleeved button-up shirt that leaves absolutely _nothing_ to the imagination. This party is “semi-formal,” and this is the closest thing to a formal shirt that Frank owns...well, it’s the one that looks the sexiest on him, which is kinda what he’s going for. It’s been another couple of weeks since Frank had hooked up with Gerard and he’s growing restless as he waits for the next time they’ll get to be alone together. Frank needs to get Gerard to notice him tonight; he’s wearing his new butt plug for the first time in hopes that they can maybe quickly fuck in the garage or something during this party. Yeah—Frank’s _that_ horny and desperate.

“What’s wrong with this shirt?” asks Frank, looking down at himself, noticing his nipples and the shape of his body showing through the see-through fabric.

“It’s too... _sexy_ ,” Linda says with a little shudder. “I mean, unless there’s a guy there you’re trying to impress, I wouldn’t wear it.”

“Well, maybe there is...” says Frank with a little smirk on his face.

Linda’s eyes widen. “Is there?” she asks. 

“Nah, I just really wanna wear this shirt,” Frank lies.

Linda rolls her eyes and grabs her purse. “All right, fine. Let’s go—we’re already late.”

Frank and his mom walk the five minutes to the Ways’ house and find that there are colourful streamers and balloons attached to the front door for decoration. Linda rings the doorbell and then Frank hears high-heeled footsteps approaching and then the door swings open, revealing Lindsey, who’s wearing a multicoloured mini-dress that Frank thinks looks annoyingly good on her.

“Linda! Frankie! Come on in,” Lindsey greets them warmly with a friendly smile. Frank swears he sees the woman curiously eye his translucent shirt for a split second as he and his mom step inside.

“I feel like it’s been forever since I’ve seen you!” Linda comments as Lindsey shuts the door behind them.

“It really has been! It’s a shame—we live so close to each other...”

As they walk down the front hallway and into the open kitchen and living room space, Linda and Lindsey go on about how they should get together sometime soon to catch up over coffee. The back patio French doors are fully open, making it seem like the outside and inside are one space. Lindsey leads them through the kitchen where there are platters of appetizers set out on the countertops, and then outside where she introduces them to Mikey’s grandparents and a few of their other family members. 

Frank is only half paying attention to these introductions because the other half of his attention is being directed at finding Gerard. His eyes scan across the Ways’ backyard and then he spots Gerard on the other side of the yard preparing to put some burgers on the grill. Frank can’t contain the smile he has on his face right now because he can tell that Gerard had already been looking over at him when their eyes meet and it makes him feel all warm knowing that the man had noticed him. Gerard‘s eyes linger on Frank for a moment and he has this look on his face that Frank can’t quite place. He then quickly looks away, focusing his attention back on the grill, and Frank wonders if someone had caught him staring over here.

Frank notices Mikey and Alicia sitting at the patio table near where Gerard is prepping the grill and he walks over to them.

“Hey, you guys,” Frank says as he approaches the table.

“Frankie—there you are,” Mikey says, smiling. He looks up at Frank’s shirt with scrutiny and then raises an eyebrow. “New shirt?” he asks.

“Yeah,” Frank lies. He’s not even sure why he’s lying about having had this shirt in his closet for months—probably just because he can. “It has great, uh...air flow,” he bullshits.

Alicia gives Frank a quick once-over with a disgusted expression on her face. “It makes you look gay,” she comments.

Frank shrugs. “So what?” he says, secretly glad that he’s giving off that vibe. “Not like I even asked for your opinion, anyway...”

It’s well-known that Frank and Alicia don’t get along and lately she’s been winning the battle over who gets to hang out with Mikey the most. Frank understands though; it’s not like Frank is the one giving Mikey head on a regular basis. At least lately they can be somewhat civil around one another despite not liking each other.

“I’m just saying,” Alicia says, haughtily flipping her dark hair over her shoulder before picking up her drink. “It’s not surprising that girls don’t like you.”

Frank raises an eyebrow and looks at Mikey, rolling his eyes when his friend doesn’t say anything in his defence. Mikey’s so whipped for Alicia and it’s frustrating for Frank seeing Mikey just go with whatever she wants when she’s not even a nice person. 

“You gonna sit down?” Mikey asks as if his girlfriend hadn’t just insulted Frank.

“Nah, I’m good,” says Frank, partly because of the butt plug he’s wearing and partly because he just doesn’t feel like hanging out with these two and being a third wheel right now. Frank looks over towards the barbecue and sees that Gerard looks away as soon as their eyes meet. “I’ll catch you guys later,” he says before making his way over to where Gerard is standing.

“Hi, Mr. Way,” Frank says with a smile when he’s standing next to Gerard.

“Hey, Frankie,” says Gerard, his eyes crinkling in the corners as he smiles, making Frank feel all warm inside. “It’s great to see you, kid,” he says sincerely.

“It’s great to see you, too,” says Frank. He really wants to hug Gerard, to feel the man’s strong arms tightly wrapped around him, pulling him close against his firm chest and torso...

Gerard subtly eyes Frank up and down, checking him out. “Did you _have_ to wear the sexiest shirt in your closet?” he asks, sounding mildly annoyed but looking the opposite.

Frank laughs. “No,” he says simply with a smug smirk on his face. “Just wanted to drive you crazy.”

Gerard laughs a bit, nodding and biting his lip slightly. “At least you’re being honest about it.”

Frank raises an eyebrow. “Is it working?” 

“Have I stopped staring at you since you got here?” Gerard counters, making Frank blush at the realization. “I’m surprised your mom even let you leave the house wearing that shirt.”

“She definitely didn’t want me to wear it...”

“Well, I’m not surprised,” Gerard says with a small chuckle as he looks the kid up and down again. “You look so fucking sexy in it. I could just stare at your body through it all night...those fucking cute nipples...” says Gerard, smiling as Frank giggles and blushes.

“Hey...you know how you said the other day that we’ll have to train my hole?”

Gerard’s eyes immediately widen and his face goes a bit red as he takes a quick look around, making sure no one’s listening. “Jesus Christ, Frankie...” he whispers intensely. “This is _so_ not the time or the place to be talking about that...” 

Frank is holding back a smile, trying to hide his amusement at how flustered Gerard had gotten just now. “Okay, sorry,” he says. “I just...really wanted to tell you about the butt plug I’m wearing right now...” he adds in a quiet, alluring voice.

Gerard raises an eyebrow, looking intrigued but not saying anything at first. “You’re, uh...are you being serious?” he asks eventually. 

Frank laughs lightly, pleased to see that he’s sparked Gerard’s interest. “Wanna find out?” he asks seductively.

Gerard looks so flustered right now and it’s making Frank want to laugh at him because he finds it so amusing and it makes him feel kinda special that he has that sort of impact on the man. “Uh...fuck yeah, I definitely do...” Gerard says, though he sounds a little unsure when he says it, probably because his entire family is over right now and he’s wondering how the hell they’re gonna pull this off.

“Meet me in the master bathroom in five minutes?” says Frank hopefully.

Gerard looks a little uneasy but he nods. “Yeah, I’ll try my best to slip away. If I’m not up there in ten minutes then just come back.”

“Okay,” Frank says, turning and heading towards the French doors that lead inside before Gerard has a chance to change his mind. 

He heads upstairs to the master bedroom and makes his way into the en-suite bathroom where he shuts and locks the door behind him after flicking on the lights. Frank doesn’t realize how fast his heart is pounding until he’s still and quiet, looking at himself in the bathroom mirror. He smiles, excited from the anticipation and thrill of meeting Gerard up here in secret. 

He glances down at the bathroom counter and sees that there are double-sinks. He can tell that Gerard’s side is the one with literally nothing on it and that Lindsey’s is the one lined with pretty perfume bottles (gifts from Gerard?) and fancy lotions and makeup along the back counter. He’s busy thinking about how jealous he is of the woman who gets to spend her life with Gerard when there’s suddenly a soft knock on the door.

“Frankie?” Gerard’s voice sounds on the other side of the door.

Frank’s heart skips a beat and he quickly unlocks and opens the door before pulling Gerard inside and locking it behind him once again. “Finally...” he says, as they embrace each other.

Gerard smirks and shakes his head. “You’re fucking trouble, boy...” he says with his lips ghosting over Frank’s.

“You love it,” Frank says softly, teasingly.

“Yeah, I fucking do,” Gerard admits just before kissing Frank hard on the mouth and grabbing his asscheeks over his jeans, squeezing. “You gonna show me that butt plug you’re wearing, or what?” he asks once they part their lips.

“Yeah,” says Frank, beginning to unbutton his jeans. He pulls them down along with his boxers and then steps out of them, kicking them to the side before he bends over, elbows resting on the stone countertop as Gerard’s mouth hangs open while he stares at the butt plug that’s filling the boy’s asshole.

“Holy shit...” Gerard whispers. 

“You like it?” Frank asks, wiggling his cute ass from side to side a couple times.

“It’s fucking beautiful, baby...looks so pretty inside you,” says Gerard, rubbing his hand over Frank’s asscheeks, spanking him lightly, seemingly unable to look away.

“Thank you, daddy,” Frank says, blushing. “Can you please fuck me now?”

Gerard smiles and grasps the heart-shaped, sparkling jewel that is at the hilt of the butt plug. “Can I pull it out?” he asks.

Frank can’t nod fast enough because he thinks Gerard is finally about to fuck him and he’s been fantasizing about this moment for months now. He feels the pressure of Gerard tugging on the butt plug and then the sudden feeling of it slipping out of him, leaving him feeling empty.

“It’s so small, baby...” Gerard comments, looking at the tiny butt plug he’s now holding in his hand. “You’ve seen how big my dick is—I’d destroy your ass if I tried to fuck you right now.”

Frank pouts at hearing Gerard’s conclusion. The person at the store had told him to start with the smallest size since he’s a beginner. “So...that’s a “no” to fucking me then?”

“Let’s not rush this, Frankie. I really wanna take my time with you...want your first time to feel amazing,” says Gerard.

Frank smiles, realizing that Gerard is just trying to avoid hurting him. “Okay,” he says, nodding.

“You want it back in?” Gerard asks, holding up the metal butt plug.

“Yes, please, daddy,” Frank says, nodding.

Gerard spits onto his fingers and then rubs them against Frank’s hole, slipping one inside and fingering him slowly for a few seconds, making him moan softly, before pulling it out and pressing the tip of the butt plug firmly against his tightness. Frank gasps when the smooth metal suddenly pops through his sphincter and fills him up again, loving the feeling of the stretch. 

“Touch yourself, baby...get yourself off while I watch you,” Gerard says, pulling Frank’s body upright.

Frank leans his head back on Gerard’s shoulder and then wraps his hand around his stiff cock, jerking himself off, feeling like his head is in the clouds with how good he feels right now and how sexy it is that Gerard is just watching him through the mirror.

“Yeah, that’s it...that’s my good boy,” Gerard says. “Look at you...look at how fucking sexy you are, baby...” he whispers in Frank’s ear as they both stare at Frank’s reflection in the mirror while he pleasures himself. 

“I wanna suck your dick...” Frank whines needily.

“No, this is just for you...we’re just doing you right now,” Gerard says, kissing the boy’s neck, tugging teasingly on the butt plug.

“Please, daddy?” Frank begs with pleading eyes. 

Gerard smiles and kisses up to Frank’s ear. “Next time, baby boy,” he says softly. “Here—you can suck these off instead...” he says before putting his fingers into Frank’s mouth.

Frank eagerly sucks on Gerard’s fingers one by one, swirling his tongue around the man’s wedding band while looking him right in the eyes through the mirror. “Oh, baby...” Gerard says softly, slowly shaking his head with a lustful look in his narrowed eyes. “You’re so fucking naughty,” he says, scoldingly grabbing Frank’s cheeks between his thumb and fingers, squishing them together before wrapping his hand around the boys throat and squeezing.

“Need you to spank me, daddy...” Frank gasps, craving punishment. “I’ve been so fucking naughty...”

Gerard smirks at Frank, drops onto his knees behind the boy and then smacks his hands hard against Frank’s asscheeks before squeezing them firmly, making the boy moan as he continues to pleasure himself. “Goddamn...this plug looks so sexy inside you,” he says.

“Fuck yeah, daddy,” Frank moans, closing his eyes and leaning forward so that his elbows are resting against the cold, stone countertop again. He whimpers when he feels Gerard rubbing his stubbly cheeks against the soft skin of his ass and moans when he feels the man’s lips kissing them all over before spanking him hard again with both hands and then standing up. 

Gerard pulls Frank’s shoulders back so he’s standing up straight again and then he speaks right into the kid’s ear. “Can’t wait to fuck that ass, baby...stretch that little hole out for you...fill you up and then watch my cum drip out of you...”

“Daddy... _fuck_...” Frank whimpers, feeling his body begin to go rigid as he nears his orgasm with Gerard’s dirty-talk taking him right to the edge. 

“You close, baby?” Gerard asks teasingly, as if he doesn’t already know. He wiggles Frank’s butt plug around, making the boy moan and arch his back sharply against his chest.

“Yeah, I’m so fucking close...” Frank says, nodding. “Choke me, please, daddy...” he begs.

Gerard smirks and then firmly wraps his left hand around Frank’s throat, squeezing tightly while his right hand wiggles the butt plug around, pushing it in as deep as it’ll go, making it brush against the boy’s prostate until his body is shaking while his cock spurts cum out onto the tiled bathroom floor. 

Gerard immediately loosens his grip on Frank’s throat after he comes, causing the boy to take a few gasping breaths as Gerard turns him around (being careful not to get any of his cum on his clothes) before kissing his lips softly and gently.

“Oh my fucking God, that was so fucking hot,” Frank says breathily when their lips part, palming Gerard’s firm chest over his shirt, looking up at the man in awe.

Gerard chuckles, stroking Frank’s hair. “Yeah, it was,” he agrees, kissing Frank again while stroking his hair, his face, being so tender and careful with him. Frank feels so cared for by the man and it makes him smile against his lips as he breathes hard, which in turn makes Gerard begin to smile. 

The two of them embrace for just a moment longer until Gerard begins to pull away. “Hey, I should get back now—Lindsey’s probably starting to wonder why I haven’t started grilling the burgers yet.”

“Oh, yeah,” Frank says, nodding, suddenly remembering that Gerard is in the middle of hosting his son’s graduation party. Frank is not looking forward to going back out there and having to pretend that he and Gerard aren’t as close as they really are—he hates having to hide how he feels. On top of that, he has no idea when they’ll even get to meet up alone again and he can hardly contain his yearning, finding that he just wants more and more of Gerard after every sexual encounter they have together.

Gerard pulls a few tissues out of a box on top of the bathroom counter and hands them to Frank before he speaks again. “I’ll let you know when we can see each other again,” he says, seemingly reading Frank’s mind.

Frank smiles, looking down as he wipes a bead of cum off the tip of his cock. “That’s what you said after the last time and then I never heard from you... You told me you’d text me.”

“I know, and I’m sorry,” says Gerard. “There just wasn’t a chance to meet up...it’s not that often that I have the house to myself for more than a couple hours, and even then I shouldn’t be cutting it that close. You know I have to be careful, Frankie.”

Frank nods. “Yeah, I understand,” he says. “Anyway, go host your party; I gotta get dressed,” he says, smiling as he goes up on his tip-toes to kiss Gerard’s lips one more time. 

“Okay,” Gerard says, returning the smile. “I’ll see you down there.”

“Yeah,” Frank says, nodding. 

Gerard then leaves the bathroom and Frank cleans the cum off of the tiled floor with a tissue before pulling his boxers and jeans back on. He waits a few minutes for his erection to deflate before smoothing out his shirt and heading back downstairs to the party.

Frank isn’t quite sure how it happens, but he somehow finds himself eating his veggie burger at a table sitting across from Lindsey and Gerard and a few other people who he doesn’t know. Awkward is putting it mildly how Frank feels right now sitting directly across from this woman after having just hooked up with her husband in her own home, _while_ she was home. 

Gerard gets up from the table at one point and then returns with a drink for Frank, which he sets down as he reaches from behind with one hand on Frank’s shoulder. Frank looks up at the man and smiles. “Thanks, Mr. Way,” he says.

Gerard returns to his seat and Frank is sure that he notices Lindsey give him a look of displeasure when she sees him smile at Gerard again after he sits down. He wonders how the hell she can tell something is going on between him and Gerard, wonders if he’s being completely obvious or if she just has a sixth sense for this kind of thing, or if he’s just reading way too much into her facial expressions. Either way, the look she’d just given him wasn’t positive in any way. 

Frank takes a sip of his drink and smiles into his cup when he tastes the alcohol in it; Gerard had made him a vodka cranberry like he had that one day when he’d been hanging out by the pool with Mikey. As he sips his drink and listens to the conversations that are happening around him, Frank can’t help but to notice how Lindsey is all over Gerard, which he’s never seen her do before. She’s putting her hand on top of his on the table, touching his arm affectionately as she speaks and calling him “babe” and “honey” every chance she gets. Frank is so fucking glad for the strong buzz he has going right now, but he only hopes he won’t accidentally roll his eyes at Lindsey or something. By the end of the night, Frank has seen Lindsey kiss Gerard three times, and the third time is enough to make him feel so glum that he just tells his mom he’s leaving and that he’ll see her at home. 

Frank knows Gerard sees him making his way inside because he looks over at the man as he’s walking though the French doors and their eyes meet. He gets to the front door and just as he’s about to open it he hears his name and he turns around to see Mikey standing there. 

“You weren’t gonna say bye?” asks Mikey, sounding a little hurt.

“You seemed busy with Alicia, so...” Frank says, feeling bad. 

Mikey sighs. “Look, Frankie, I’m sorry about what she said to you earlier.”

“It’d be cool if she apologized to me herself for once instead of putting it on you to be a decent human being for her every single time.”

“Believe me: I’ve asked her to apologize to you multiple times. She just doesn’t think she did anything wrong and it’s pointless arguing with her about it. She won’t see it my way.”

“Yeah, ‘cause she’s a delusional fucking bitch,” Frank lets slip. He stares at Mikey for a moment and then eventually they both just burst out laughing.

“God, I know I should break up with her,” Mikey says when they’ve regained their composure.

“Yeah, you should. You can do so much better, Mikey. Trust me.”

“Thanks, man,” Mikey says, smiling a bit.

“You know, it would be rude for me to leave without thanking your parents...” Frank says. “I should go back in there.”

“I doubt they’d really care, but, okay,” Mikey says, leading the way back outside into the backyard where Lindsey and Gerard are still sitting at a table while they talk with their friends and family. Gerard’s eyes seem to light up when he sees Frank and Frank tries to not melt too obviously when he notices that.

“Are you leaving, Frankie?” Gerard asks, interrupting his own conversation, much to Lindsey’s apparent annoyance as she rolls her eyes in Frank’s general direction.

Frank feels a little embarrassed as the eyes of the entire table of people are now on him. “Yeah,” he says, nodding. “I just wanted to thank you both for having me.”

“Of course, any time, kid,” Gerard says with a smile before looking over at his wife. “Right, Linds?” he prompts.

“Yes, of course,” Lindsey says sweetly with a smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes.

“Hey, I’ll walk you out, Frankie,” Gerard says, getting up from his seat.

“Oh, that’s okay, Mr. Way...really, it’s fine...” Frank says, noticing Lindsey’s curious expression as Gerard stands up. 

“It’s all good, kid. I’m gonna grab another drink on my way back. Anyone want anything while I’m up?” 

There’s a resounding “no” from the people at the table and soon Frank is following Gerard inside to the front entrance.

“Thanks for walking me out,” says Frank. “You didn’t have to.”

“I wanted to,” says Gerard. “Did you have a good time?” he asks.

Frank nods. “Yeah, I did,” he says. 

“You seem sad,” Gerard comments, tucking a piece of Frank’s hair behind his ear.

Frank shrugs. “I’m just tired,” he lies.

“Everyone knows the word “tired” is just a codeword for “sad.””

Frank can’t help but smile at the way Gerard can apparently just see through him. “Can I please have a hug?” he asks. “You give the best hugs...”

Gerard smiles down at Frank warmly. “Of course you can, baby,” he says before tightly wrapping his arms around the boy, holding him close against his body. “Is this helping?” 

Frank nods his head against Gerard’s chest. “Yeah, it is, thank you,” he says. 

Gerard lets go after a moment and then just stares down at Frank and Frank stares up at him, feeling this profound feeling of warmth and longing and contentment in his chest that’s so strong that it almost hurts...

“Frankie, the way you’re looking at me right now...I don’t want you to tell me...” Gerard says vaguely, looking a little uneasy.

“Gerard, I—,”

But Frank is quickly cut off by Gerard’s lips being pressed against his before he can finish his statement. “Don’t say it, please,” he pleads quietly when their lips part. “You know I couldn’t say it back, even if I wanted to...I don’t wanna hurt you.”

Frank swallows hard, holding back tears, and he nods, understanding that it’s for the best. “Okay,” he agrees.

Gerard smiles somewhat sadly and then kisses Frank’s forehead before opening the front door for him. “Text me when you get in,” he says. 

“Yeah,” Frank says, stepping outside. “I’ll see you later.”

“See you, Frankie.”


	6. Chapter 6

It’s another hot summer’s day, one week after Mikey’s graduation party. Frank is lazing around in bed around noon o’ clock on whatever day of the week it is (who cares when you have nowhere to go?). His bare legs are all tangled up in his bedsheets and he’s just wiped lube off his hands with a tissue after working in his butt plug, which he’s been wearing for a few hours every day since the last time he’d hooked up with Gerard. For Frank, this is just another boring day of having fuck-all to do but lie in bed until the late afternoon and then text your best friend asking if you can come over and hang out at his house and hope that you can maybe say a quick “hi” to his sexy dad who you’ve hooked up with twice already and who you might be in love with and who you’re hoping will fuck you sometime soon before you go completely insane from sexual frustration.

Frank’s casually holding his phone above his face with both hands, fucking around on the internet (see: “Youtube rabbit hole”) when he suddenly gets a notification for a text message from Gerard. His heart begins to race as he opens the message.

 **Gerard** : _hey, can u come over?_

Frank has been waiting to see this text for a whole week and he’s absolutely ecstatic that Gerard is finally asking to meet up with him again.

 **Frank** : _fuck yes_

He wants Gerard to know exactly how down he is for him. 

**Gerard** : _want u on my dick_

Holy _shit_. 

**Frank** : _10 mins_

Frank literally jumps out of bed, legs all tangled up in the sheets as he tries to stand. He can’t get ready fast enough after reading the last text message he’d received from Gerard. He eventually breaks free from his fabric chains and then goes over to his dresser and pulls open his underwear drawer, quickly finding and carefully putting on the pair of black lingerie panties and fishnet stockings he’d bought for himself a few days ago with the graduation gift money he’d gotten from his aunt and uncle.

Frank speedily checks himself out in the mirror, spinning around, pulling back the fabric of the panties to reveal the heart-shaped jewel at the hilt of his butt plug, just wanting to see what it will look like for Gerard. He’s almost certain that Gerard will more than like how this lingerie looks on him, but he’s still a little nervous for the man to see him wearing it because he’s never worn lingerie like this in front of someone else before; just by himself when he feels like experimenting and feeling extra sexy. 

Frank decides he looks hot and then he pulls a T-shirt over his head and a pair of jeans over his fishnets and panties, shoving his phone and keys into the pockets before running downstairs and quickly telling his mom he’s going out before she has a chance to even ask him for any details, which she’s all too used to by now.

Frank half walks half jogs until he finally gets to the Ways’ front door a few minutes later, and then he waits for a minute or so until he catches his breath before he knocks. Frank hears footsteps approaching and then Gerard swings the door open a moment later. The dark-haired man is wearing a fitted white T-shirt which clings sexily to his bulging pecs and hard abs and shows off his large, muscular arms. Frank can’t help but to look Gerard up and down, feeling a slight rush of blood to his cock as he checks him out, eyes settling on the bulge at the front of the man’s track pants before scanning back up and meeting his eyes.

“Damn, you really did mean ten minutes,” Gerard says with a little smirk on his face as he holds the door open. “Get in here,” he says with a slight nod of his head.

Frank smiles and then walks in, immediately throwing his arms around Gerard’s shoulders as soon as he shuts the door behind him. “I wasn’t sure how much time we have...didn’t wanna waste any,” he says, looking up at the man.

Gerard smiles down at Frank and wraps his arms firmly around the boy’s waist. “We’ve got a few hours,” he says before giving him a soft kiss on the mouth. “Do you want a drink or anything?” 

Frank shakes his head, feeling a little dazed and warm after that kiss as his dick becomes even more engorged, now straining against the delicate fabric of the panties he’s wearing. “No, thanks,” he says.

Gerard chuckles. “I can tell there’s only one thing you want right now...”

Frank blushes, a little embarrassed by his transparency. “You gonna give me what I want or just tease me some more?” he asks.

“Oh, I’m definitely gonna tease you some more, baby...” says Gerard, laughing a bit as Frank pouts playfully. “And then I’m gonna fuck you,” he adds in a lower voice, looking down at Frank with an intense gaze. 

Frank feels pleasant butterflies in his stomach and another rush of blood to his cock when he hears Gerard’s words. “You’re gonna fuck me?” he asks, biting his lip, looking up at the man with a cute little smile on his face, just wanting to hear him say it again.

“Yeah, I’m gonna fuck you...make that hole feel amazing...” Gerard says, seeming to get lost in his imagination a bit as he does. “Put your arms around my shoulders,” he commands just as Frank begins feeling lightheaded from how turned on he is by Gerard’s words.

Frank does as Gerard says and then the man bends down a little bit and grabs the backs of his upper thighs, lifting him up. The movement literally takes Frank’s breath away. He wraps his legs around Gerard’s waist as the man moves his hands up so his palms are resting on Frank’s ass as he carries the boy.

“Where are you taking me, king?” Frank asks as Gerard begins to walk, holding on tightly to the man’s shoulders. 

Gerard smiles. “Upstairs,” he replies. “To my castle.”

Frank giggles and he clenches as he does, making sure his butt plug stays in place while Gerard’s carrying him like this. He then nuzzles his face into the crook of the man’s neck as he’s being carried upstairs, taking in the pleasant, energizing scent of his aftershave.

When they get up to the master bedroom, Gerard leans over to lie Frank down on the bed on his back and then stays bent over with Frank’s legs still wrapped around him as he softly kisses the boy’s lips. Frank runs his fingers through Gerard’s dark hair as they make out and he feels the bulge of Gerard’s erection begin to press against his own.

After a long while of making out with their hands all over each other, Gerard stands up and pulls his shirt off, practically taking Frank’s breath away again as he lies there looking up at the man’s gorgeous, muscular body. Next, Gerard pulls down his pants and underwear, not once breaking eye contact with Frank as he undresses, as if he gets off on watching Frank’s eyes widen when he sees him naked.

“You are so fucking hot, Gerard,” Frank says, biting his lip, smiling slightly as he looks the man up and down. 

Gerard chuckles and reaches down, beginning to unbutton and unzip Frank’s jeans. As he pulls down on the waistband of the boy’s pants, a large smile slowly begins to form across his face when he reveals the top edge of the black, lacy panties Frank is wearing underneath them. “Oh my God...” Gerard says, chuckling lightly as he stares down at the boy with an expression of awe on his face.

Frank smiles, watching Gerard’s reaction closely as he lifts up his butt so that the man can pull his jeans off. He giggles as he watches the man’s eyes widen when he sees the thigh-high fishnet stockings that Frank is wearing. 

“Holy _shit_ , Frankie...” Gerard says with another light chuckle as he tosses Frank’s jeans down onto the floor, staring in awe at his body in his black lingerie. “Look at you...you look so goddamn sexy...”

Frank smiles and blushes and pulls his knees back into his chest, spreading his legs open, enjoying all of the positive attention he’s getting from Gerard right now. “Thank you, daddy,” he says sweetly. “I just really wanted to look pretty for you.”

“Baby, you look _so_ fucking beautiful,” says Gerard, looking Frank up and down before leaning over and lying down on top of him between his open legs, then kissing him softly as he glides one hand up and down Frank’s outer thigh, gently dragging his fingernails across the fishnet fabric. “I could honestly just stare at your cute ass in those panties all day...”

Frank giggles and then moans lightly when Gerard starts hungrily kissing his neck. “How ‘bout you stare at my ass while I suck you off,” he says.

Gerard stops kissing him and doesn’t answer, just stands up and suddenly flips Frank over onto his stomach with his strong arms, making the boy gasp from the unexpectedness of the action but loving how dominant Gerard is being, throwing him around like this.

“ _I_ tell _you_ what to do—not the other way around,” he says scoldingly as he firmly spanks Frank’s ass as the boy looks back at him.

“Yes, daddy,” Frank says obediently, sticking his ass up in the air, silently begging to be spanked again.

“Good boy,” Gerard says, now gently caressing Frank’s asscheeks with both hands as Frank watches, still looking back over his own shoulder as he leans on his elbows with his ass up. The man pulls Frank’s lacy panties to the side, revealing the heart-shaped jewel at the end of the boy’s butt plug. “So fucking pretty, baby...” he whispers, his strong hands roaming all over Frank’s asscheeks, squeezing them, spreading them open, jiggling them up and down...just adoring his baby boy.

Frank’s enjoying having his ass practically worshipped like this while his cock drips beads of clear pre-cum down onto the Ways’ bedsheets. He suddenly feels Gerard tugging on his butt plug and he lets out a moan when it suddenly pops out of him.

In a second Frank inhales sharply when he feels Gerard’s tongue on his asshole, licking, sucking, kissing and spitting all over it, and soon he’s got his face buried in the bedsheets, moaning into them while he claws at them with his hands, grabbing fistfuls of fabric as Gerard expertly pleasures his ass.

“Like how daddy eats that sweet ass, baby?” Gerard says just before roughly spreading him open, pulling his panties back further, and spitting right into his hole

“ _Fuck_ yes...you’re so fucking good at it,” Frank moans. 

Gerard pulls back and jiggles Frank’s asscheeks up and down again while squeezing.

“More, daddy...more,” Frank whines, shaking his ass from side to side, begging for Gerard to give his hole more attention.

“Where’s your manners, boy?” Gerard says gruffly before spanking Frank’s ass firmly. 

Frank moans and arches his back when Gerard’s palm makes firm, stinging contact with his right asscheek. “Please?” he says meekly.

“Please what?” Gerard asks, giving Frank’s ass another hard slap. 

Frank moans again. “Please, daddy; can you eat my ass out some more?” he begs, his voice sounding needy as fuck.

“Fuck yeah, baby,” Gerard gives in as he spreads Frank’s ass open again, spitting right into his tight hole. “You taste so fucking good,” he says before putting his tongue right into Frank’s tight cherry once again.

“Mmmm, daddy...daddy...” Frank moans as Gerard rims him. Frank’s not even sure if they’ll need lube at this point with how much Gerard’s spitting into his spread-open asshole—he can feel the warm saliva dripping down his crack, down his balls, onto the bedsheets. “Need you to fuck my hole...please,” he says breathily.

“You need it, baby?” Gerard asks teasingly, now rubbing the head of his hard cock firmly against Frank’s dripping wet hole. “You need this dick?”

“Yes, daddy...” Frank moans. He can hardly help himself when he feels Gerard rubbing himself against his opening. He pushes his hips back until the tip of Gerard’s cock slightly enters into his tightness. 

Gerard lets out a pleasant groan and then spanks Frank’s ass firmly. “Baby...so fucking naughty...” he says.

Frank looks back over his shoulder, looking Gerard’s muscular torso up and down, so eager to be completely filled up with his cock, loving the stretch he’s feeling right now with just the tip of it inside of him. “Give it to me...need it, daddy...please...” Frank says with his best pouty face, pleased when he sees Gerard bite his lip and run a hand through his dark hair, looking flustered. 

“Okay, you said you want this dick—show me how much you want it,” Gerard says with a little smirk on his face. Frank looks confused for a moment and then Gerard speaks again. “Back that ass up, baby...” he urges, tugging gently on Frank’s hips, pulling him back. 

Frank’s head is swimming dreamily with lust and he does as Gerard says, backing his ass up on the man’s dick until the head suddenly pops inside him, causing Frank to feel an intense stretching sensation and some discomfort. “Fuck...” he says breathily, looking back and up at Gerard who’s looking like he’s enjoying the view of watching Frank’s little hole stretch around his big cock.

“You okay?” Gerard asks with a little smile, gently caressing Frank’s hips.

“Yeah,” Frank says, nodding. “You’re just so fucking big...” he says breathily, smiling.

“Try to relax more, sweetheart,” Gerard says, continuing to rub the boy’s slender hips. Frank tries to relax his tense muscles around Gerard’s cock. “More...more, baby...open that hole up for me...” Gerard coaxes gently.

Frank takes a deep breath and relaxes his muscles more, allowing Gerard to enter him further, causing an even more intense stretch that makes him whimper and moan and makes Gerard grab onto his hips tighter.

“That’s fucking good, baby,” Gerard says, his voice dripping with lust. “Your hole feels so fucking good...” 

It’s not long before Gerard’s dick is completely buried inside of Frank and the boy’s body jolts when Gerard moves around inside him, letting the head of his cock brush against his prostate.

“Fuck, that feels amazing,” Frank moans. 

“You want me to fuck the cum out of you?”

Frank nearly shudders with arousal as he looks back at Gerard. “Yes, please, daddy,” he replies.

Gerard smirks and then starts pounding his cock into Frank’s ass, causing the boy to nearly pass out from how amazing it feels to have his prostate stimulated like this.

“Oh my fucking God, Gerard...” Frank moans, grabbing at the sheets, completely losing it from the intense pleasure he’s feeling deep inside of him. “I feel like I’m gonna come already...” he admits breathily. 

“Yeah?” says Gerard, continuing to thrust into his boy relentlessly. “Daddy making that hole feel good?”

“Fuck yeah,” Frank moans. “So fucking good, daddy.”

Gerard fucks Frank like that for a while longer before he pulls out and gets onto the bed, sitting with his back leaning against the headboard. “Get over here,” he orders, wiping beads of sweat off his forehead and into his hair.

Frank’s body is shaking as he crawls over to Gerard on the bed, staring at his huge cock as he does. He watches Gerard spit onto his hand and rub saliva onto his cock, getting it nice and wet again. Frank goes over and straddles Gerard’s legs, facing him as he puts his arms around the man’s shoulders, and Gerard spits onto his fingers again, this time reaching underneath Frank and pulling his panties to the side so he can rub his saliva-slick fingers onto his hole.

“Damn, I loosened that hole up so nicely,” Gerard says, easily slipping three fingers inside of Frank, making the boy moan and grind down onto them, eager to feel his prostate being stimulated again. “You want my cock back in there?” Gerard asks teasingly.

“Yes, please,” Frank nods eagerly.

Gerard slips his fingers out and then kisses Frank. “You put it back in,” he says against the boy’s lips. 

Frank reaches down behind him and takes Gerard’s hard cock in his hands, guiding it to his entrance and then lowering himself down onto it, moaning from the intense, pleasurable feeling of being filled up again.

“Good boy,” says Gerard, kissing Frank again as he begins to ride his cock, grinding down hard on it every now and then. “Show me how much you love that dick inside you.”

Frank’s head is basically in the clouds as he rides Gerard. This is the best he’s felt in his entire life so far and he honestly can’t believe how good it feels to be fucked like this. He’s got his arms around the man’s shoulders and they’re making out and Gerard is rubbing his fishnet stocking-covered thighs up and down and Frank is totally caught off guard when he feels his orgasm build until he’s right on the edge because he’s not even touching his dick.

Frank pulls his lips away from Gerard’s and then speaks. “I’m gonna come,” he says breathily.

“Yeah?” says Gerard. He reaches a hand into the front of Frank’s panties and wraps it around the boy’s cock, beginning to jerk him off, practically making him come as soon as he touches him.

“Oh _fuck_ ,” Frank cries out, squeezing his eyes shut as his body shakes from his orgasm and as ropes of sticky, white cum spurt up onto Gerard’s hand and both of their torsos.

“Baby...” Gerard says, looking at Frank as the boy opens his eyes, clearly on the edge from the way Frank’s ass muscles rhythmically clenched around his cock as he came. “I wanna come all over that pretty hole of yours—get on your knees.”

Frank’s head is still spinning from the intensity of his orgasm as he lifts himself off of Gerard’s cock and turns around, getting on his knees in front of the man as he rests on his elbows with his face buried in the bedsheets. He feels Gerard roughly pull his panties to the side and hold them there with one hand while the other begins quickly jerking his dick back and forth. 

It’s not long before Gerard lets out a groan and curses under his breath as he comes. Frank feels warm cum spurting onto his asscheeks and his hole and then he gasps when Gerard’s cock enters him again and he feels the warmth of cum filling his hole.

“Fuck, that’s sexy,” Gerard pants as he pulls out of Frank again. Frank looks back over his shoulder and watches Gerard admiring the way his cum is dripping out of the boy’s hole. Frank can feel it dripping down his balls and he’s overwhelmed by how hot this is. Gerard gets off the bed and smiles at Frank who’s still lying there with his cum-covered ass up in the air. “Let’s take a shower,” he says.

“Okay,” Frank says, smiling back dazedly as he gets off the bed. 

Gerard takes Frank’s hand and leads him into the en-suite bathroom where he starts up the water in the walk-in shower as Frank takes off his panties and stockings before they get in. Frank’s never been in a shower with so much room before and he’s silently amazed as the warm water from the shower head washes down over his body. Gerard wraps his arms around Frank’s waist and kisses him gently, making Frank practically melt as he drapes his arms over the man’s shoulders. 

When Gerard pulls away, Frank looks up at him with the same look he’d had on his face when they’d stood at the front entrance of the house just before Frank left Mikey’s graduation party a week ago. Frank just can’t help the warm, pleasant rush of contentment and longing he feels as he’s being held by Gerard...

Gerard smiles a bit as he looks down at Frank. “If there’s something you wanna say...you can say it.”

Frank blushes, feeling butterflies in his stomach as he looks down at his feet for a second. “Really?” he asks, looking up at Gerard again.

Gerard nods and holds Frank a little closer. “I don’t think it was fair for me to tell you that you can’t tell me how you feel.”

Frank smiles and blushes again. “Okay,” he says, taking a moment before he speaks again. “I love you.”

Gerard smiles a warm smile that makes his eyes crinkle in the corners and Frank melts again, smiling as he holds Gerard tighter and rests his head against his chest. He somehow feels like Gerard is in love with him, too, just by the way he looks at him and holds him and kisses him so tenderly. Frank can understand why Gerard won’t say it out loud, but for now it’s enough for him that he can just _feel_ it.

The two of them get out of the shower soon and get dressed—Frank leaves his fishnet stockings and his panties off as they’re both soiled with cum, just putting his jeans and T-shirt back on. Frank rinses out his lingerie and washes his butt plug off in the bathroom sink while Gerard straightens out the bedsheets and makes sure everything looks like it’s in order. Gerard then finds a little plastic bag for Frank to put his things into.

“Do you wanna stay and hang out for a bit?” asks Gerard. 

Frank notices the hopeful tone of his voice and he smiles. “Yeah, definitely,” he says, nodding.

They make their way downstairs to the kitchen and Frank sits down at the island counter while Gerard starts to make drinks.

“So, have you always found me attractive?” Frank asks, looking up at Gerard with a cute smile as he measures out vodka into a cocktail shaker.

“I’ve always thought you were very handsome,” Gerard admits.

“What about _sexy_ though?”

Gerard chuckles. “Only since you turned eighteen,” he says with a smirk.

Just then, the door to the garage opens and Lindsey walks in, taking off her designer sunglasses as she does. She stops dead in her tracks when she sees Frank sitting there and Frank feels a chill pass through his body from the glare she’s giving him right now. He looks over at Gerard and he’s wearing the best poker face he’s ever seen.

“Hey, Linds,” Gerard says, greeting his wife warmly.

“What’s...going on? Where’s Mikey?” Lindsey asks, glancing at Gerard before glaring at Frank again.

“Mikey’s with Alicia,” says Gerard. “Frankie just wanted to come over for a swim.”

“Uh huh...” says Lindsey skeptically. “It’s just a little odd to see you two hanging out...alone.”

“I should probably get going now actually...” says Frank uncomfortably, getting up from his seat.

“Yeah, that’s probably a good idea,” Lindsey says coldly. 

“I’ll walk you out, Frankie,” says Gerard.

“That’s okay, honey—you finish making your drink. I can walk him out,” Lindsey insists.

Frank glances at Gerard nervously while he follows Lindsey to the front entrance of the house, carrying the plastic bag that’s holding his lingerie and sex toy with him. When they get to the door, Lindsey stands in front of it, glaring down at him with one hand on her hip. Frank’s not even gonna lie; this woman is fucking terrifying to him.

“Stay away from my husband, you little slut. I’m not gonna let some horny _kid_ ruin my marriage. And while you’re at it, stay away from my son,” Lindsey says bitingly.

Frank swallows hard, feeling nervous. “What are you talking about?” 

“Don’t play fucking stupid with me, child. You do know you’re just a play-thing for him, right? A mid-life crisis play-thing. He doesn’t care about you. If it ever came down to me versus you, he’d choose me every single fucking time, because I’m his wife,” Lindsey says, becoming more menacing by the second, making Frank want to curl up into a ball or just disappear completely. “See, we made vows to each other eighteen years ago—it’s something that adults do when they’re committed to each other. Maybe when you grow up you’ll understand to not fuck with other people’s lives. Gerard loves me. It’s a hell of a lot more than I can say for you.”

Frank suddenly feels angry after hearing Lindsey’s last comment. “Well, maybe he loves me, too,” he says challengingly, immediately regretting it as the words leave his mouth.

“In what world?” Lindsey scoffs condescendingly. “Get the fuck out of my house,” she says, moving aside and throwing the door open.

Frank hurries out the door, glad to be out of Lindsey’s presence. His heart is pounding and his stomach is feeling queasy with nervousness. He has no idea how the fuck Lindsey is so sure that he’d hooked up with Gerard and he’s scared, especially of not being able to see Gerard anymore and of Mikey finding out that he’d slept with his dad...


	7. Chapter 7

“Frankie?” 

Frank is suddenly woken up out of a light sleep by the sound of knocking on his bedroom door and the sound of his mom calling his name. Underneath the bedsheet his body is sticky with sweat from the sweltering hot sun of the summer’s day heating up his room, which isn’t air conditioned. He looks at the digital clock on his beside table and sighs when he sees that it’s already three o’ clock in the afternoon—he’s frustrated with himself for spending yet another day just lying in bed doing nothing except for jerking off and thinking about Gerard and checking his social media in between naps. 

For the past couple of weeks Frank has been feeling pretty upset about the encounter he’d had with Lindsey as he was leaving the Ways’ house the day he’d finally slept with Gerard. He can’t believe he’d just let the woman talk to him like that; calling him a slut and speaking to him in the extremely condescending manner in which she did. He wishes he’d stood up for himself instead of just standing there being scared and silently taking her verbal attack, but on the other hand he’s kind of glad that he didn’t cause any more drama because there certainly is enough of it to go around already. He wonders if Gerard has any idea what Lindsey had said to him that day...

Frank hasn’t seen or heard from Gerard since then and each day that passes he feels more and more sad about it. He’s been telling himself he understands that Gerard is probably just trying to play it safe after Lindsey had caught them hanging out, but he can’t help the disappointment he feels that the man hadn’t reached out to him even once—not even just to check up on him and see how he’s doing after they’d slept together. He keeps getting this sinking feeling that maybe Gerard had once again come to the conclusion that they should just stay away from each other.

“Frankie?” Linda says again on the other side of the door, knocking a little louder this time.

“Yeah, Mom?” Frank replies, pulling the bedsheet up to cover himself a bit more.

“Can I come in?”

“Sure.”

The door opens and Linda pokes her head in, immediately wrinkling her nose when she does. “It stinks in here,” she says, looking around and seeing the large pile of dirty laundry that looks like it’s practically being vomited out of Frank’s closet.

“Thanks,” Frank says cheekily. “Is that all?”

“Just checking to make sure you’re alive,” Linda says casually. “Are you planning on getting out of bed today?”

Frank sighs. “I dunno. I don’t feel like doing anything, so what’s the point?”

Linda’s brow furrows and she comes into the room and sits down on the edge of Frank’s bed. “Are you okay, sweetie?” she asks, looking at Frank with a concerned expression. “You’ve seemed a little depressed these past couple of weeks. Is there anything going on with you that you wanna talk about?”

“No, I’m fine,” Frank lies as he shakes his head. “Just bored is all.”

“So...you’re bored but you don’t feel like doing anything.”

“Yeah. Shitty, right?” Frank says, looking over at his phone on the bedside table when he hears the sound of a text-message notification.

Linda sighs and stands up. “You should get outside or clean your room or do _some_ thing, Frankie,” she says as she heads towards the door. “Or, better yet: get a job...” she adds with a smile just before walking out of the room and shutting the door behind her. 

Frank grabs his phone and sees that he has a new text-message from Mikey. They’ve hung out a few times over the past couple of weeks but Frank has been finding excuses to avoid going over to his best friend’s house because he’s scared of getting in trouble with Lindsey, who’d told him to stay away from both Gerard and Mikey—he’s definitely not trying to find out what she’ll do if she ever sees him over there again. He feels bad about keeping away because Mikey’s going to be starting college next week and they’re not going to be able to hang out regularly for a while. 

**Mikey** : _Hey man, I just broke up with Alicia... Wanna come over? Feeling kinda shitty, could use the company if ur free._

Frank’s stomach drops unpleasantly when he sees Mikey’s invitation to come over. His best friend has just broken up with his first longterm girlfriend—it’s not like he can say _no_ to hanging out; he has to be supportive. He decides to ask Mikey if he wants to go out somewhere instead so that he doesn’t have to set foot into the Way household and risk seeing Lindsey again.

 **Frank** : _damn, sorry bro :( yeah i can def hang out. do u wanna just walk around or something tho? i have weed if ur down to smoke?_

 **Mikey** : _I don’t feel like going out or smoking rn tbh..._

Damn.

 **Frank** : _okay np. are your parents cool w me coming over?_

 **Mikey** : _Yeah of course, when are they not?_

 **Frank** : _idk just making sure. k i’ll be over in a bit_

 **Mikey** : _Kk see u soon_

“Fuck,” Frank says out loud, sighing with exasperation as he realizes that there’s no way he can get out of going over to the Ways’ house today.

He’s almost positive that Lindsey won’t verbally attack him again if Mikey’s around, so he’s thinking he might be spared of her wrath when he goes over there. The thing he’s most nervous about actually is seeing Gerard. It’s going to be so fucking hard for him to not show affection to the man who he’s in love with and who he hasn’t seen in two weeks. He hopes he can show some restraint.

A little while later, Frank finally gets out of bed and takes a shower before getting dressed in a pair of red swim shorts and a heather grey T-shirt. When he gets downstairs, Linda’s eyes light up when she sees that her son is finally out of his room for the first time today.

“Nice to see you vertical and out of your bedroom,” she says with a smile. “Are you going out?”

“Yeah, Mikey invited me over. He broke up with Alicia.”

“Aw, that’s shitty...right before he goes off to college, too,” says Linda empathetically. “I’m sure he’ll be grateful to have your company. You’re a good friend, sweetie.”

“Thanks, Mom,” says Frank, though he’s definitely not feeling like a good friend with the secret he’s keeping from Mikey.

Soon, Frank is standing outside of the Ways’ front door with his hands in his pockets after knocking, silently praying that it isn’t Lindsey who answers the door. He hears footsteps approaching; his heart rate speeds up from the anticipation and he’s practically holding his breath by the time the door swings open.

“Hey,” Mikey says, standing in the doorway wearing blue swim shorts and a white T-shirt.

Frank lets out a breath of relief when he sees that it’s his best friend who’s standing in front of him. He can tell by Mikey’s red and slightly puffy eyes behind his glasses that he’s cried recently and he feels bad for the guy despite that fact that he dislikes Alicia.

“Hey, buddy,” Frank says, walking inside, noticing the pleasant, garlicky aroma of something cooking wafting out into the front hall from the kitchen. “How’re you doing?” he asks as Mikey shuts the door behind him. 

“Not great,” Mikey admits with a shrug, looking down for a second. “Just trying to distract myself from thinking about everything, which is pretty hard to do when you’re by yourself. Thanks for coming over.”

“Yeah, of course, man. You don’t need to thank me. C’mere...” Frank says, pulling his friend into a comforting hug which he sighs into. 

“Wanna go sit by the pool?” Mikey asks when they let go of each other.

“Yeah, sure.”

Frank follows Mikey down the hall into the kitchen and living room area and his heart skips a beat when he sees Gerard in the kitchen, standing in front of the stove wearing nothing but a black apron and a pair of athletic shorts as he stirs a pot of something hot on the stovetop. Frank thinks the man is looking sexy, as usual, and he tries not to stare too much at his gorgeous physique. Gerard looks up when the two boys walk in and when he sees Frank he does a double-take, smiling warmly at him as soon as their eyes meet. 

“Oh, hey, Frankie,” Gerard says, his eyes locked on Frank’s as he wipes his hands off on a checkered dish towel. “Didn’t know you were coming over today.”

“Hi, Mr. Way,” Frank says, feeling pleasant butterflies fill his stomach and trying not to look too excited as he smiles back. “Yeah, Mikey invited me.”

“Oh, yeah, sorry, Dad—I forgot to ask you if it’s cool if Frankie stays for dinner,” says Mikey casually.

“Uh...it’s fine with me, but maybe you should check with Mom, too...” Gerard says, sounding unsure.

“Check with me about what?” asks Lindsey as she walks in through the open patio door.

Frank’s stomach drops when he hears Lindsey’s voice, and as their eyes meet when he looks over at her standing in the doorway wearing a stylish beige sun hat and a crocheted cover-up over her pink two-piece swimsuit and holding a dwindling glass of white wine in her hand, he’s hit with a quick flashback to the last time they’d spoken. Lindsey’s face falls noticeably when she sees Frank and he swallows hard, hoping Mikey doesn’t notice his sudden nervousness. Gerard turns away towards the stovetop when his wife walks in and silently resumes stirring the steaming pot of delicious-smelling food. 

“Is it cool if Frankie stays for dinner?” asks Mikey, looking at his mom now.

Lindsey shrugs and smiles a sarcastically sweet smile at Frank. “Why not?” she says with a little shrug. “You’re already here, aren’t you?” she adds somewhat coarsely before passing behind Gerard and opening the fridge, taking out the half-full bottle of wine and topping up her glass. 

“Cool, thank you,” Frank says politely before quickly following Mikey through the patio door and outside into the heat.

“There’s been something super weird going on with my parents lately...” Mikey says as he sits down at the edge of the pool next to Frank with his legs in the water. 

“What do you mean? Like what?” Frank asks, his heart rate speeding up a little as he glides his legs back and forth in the cool water. He’s nervous about exploring this topic with Mikey, but even more, he’s curious to know what the couple’s relationship has been like since Lindsey had confronted him.

Mikey sighs; his brow furrows as if he’s turned these thoughts over in his mind countless times. “I don’t know for sure,” he begins, “but I think my dad cheated or something.”

Frank’s stomach drops and he doesn’t have to fake the mortified expression that comes to his face. “Oh my God... What makes you say that?”

“I heard them arguing in their bedroom one night, like a week ago, and my mom said something like, “I don’t believe for a second that all you did was take a shower together, but I have to believe that, don’t I?””

“Holy shit...” Frank says, feeling a little sick to his stomach now as he comes to the realization that Lindsey knows way more than he thought. He’s wondering why the fuck Gerard had told her they’d showered together and what else she knows...

“I know, right?” says Mikey, sounding glum. “And now it seems like my dad has been trying to make her happy by cooking meals and buying her gifts and stuff...it’s just really weird.”

“Damn...yeah, that sucks, dude...” says Frank, feeling guilty as hell that he’s the cause of all of this. 

“Yeah, it does,” Mikey agrees. “I’m just trying to figure out who the other woman is and why he’d do something like that...like, I have no idea who it could be...”

“Hmm...” says Frank vaguely, desperately wanting to get off of this topic now. “Does it really matter?” 

Mikey sighs again. “No, I guess not,” he says. “Besides, if I knew who it was I’d probably be angrier at my dad than I am already.”

Frank nods. “Yeah...” he says uncomfortably. “So...how’d you end things with Alicia?” he asks carefully.

“Oh...” Mikey says defeatedly, as if he’s been trying to avoid bringing up the topic. “I basically just met up with her and told her that with both of us starting college at different schools next week it’d be too difficult to keep seeing each other. And, like, we’ll both probably meet people that we might wanna start dating or whatever. Anyway, she was a mess afterwards, begging me to stay with her and stuff. It was hard...”

“Damn...yeah, I can imagine,” says Frank. “I had no idea you were planning on breaking it off before you leave.”

“Well, I’ve only really hung out with you a few times these past couple of weeks... Besides, it wasn’t something I planned out; it just sorta happened as we were talking about starting school.”

“Oh, okay,” says Frank, nodding.

The patio door opens and both boys look back to see Gerard poking his head out, now shirtless without his apron on. Frank’s failing miserably at not staring with his mouth slightly agape.

“Dinner’s ready,” says Gerard, looking at Frank before he turns his gaze to his son. “And, Mikey: Mom wants us all to eat at the table together, so I wouldn’t take too long if I were you,” he adds before quickly retreating back into the house.

Mikey groans. “I’m so sorry you have to sit through one of our awkward family meals...” he says as he takes his legs out of the pool water and stands up. 

Frank’s right behind his friend as they dry off before making their way inside to the dining table. “I’m sure it’ll be fine,” he says, trying to reassure himself just as much as Mikey.

Inside, Lindsey is setting the table with four bowls and four sets of cutlery while Gerard brings out a large dish of hot stew and sets it down on the table. Frank and Mikey sit down on the same side of the table and Frank looks on with interest at the food that Gerard has put in front of them. He’s not sure what’s in it but he thinks it looks and smells amazing. Soon, Lindsey sits down in the seat right across from Frank and Gerard sits down next to her, across from Mikey. 

“Frankie, you go ahead; you’re the guest,” says Gerard.

Frank timidly looks up and meets Lindsey’s eyes momentarily, searching for any sign of disapproval, but her expression remains neutral so he begins to serve himself.

“Thank you,” Frank says as he ladles a few spoonfuls of stew into his bowl. “What did you make, Mr. Way? It looks really good,” he says as he sets the spoon down and positions his bowl in front of him, waiting for the others to serve themselves before digging in.

“It’s an Italian fish stew called Cioppino,” says Gerard as Lindsey begins to serve herself. “Go ahead and start, Frankie; want you to enjoy it while it’s still hot.”

Frank blushes and looks down at his bowl to try and hide it but he’s sure Lindsey notices. After that he feels too shy to start eating first so he waits.

“This was the first dish you ever cooked for me, babe,” Lindsey pipes up, sounding unnaturally cheery as she looks over at Gerard and smiles. 

“Yeah, it was,” says Gerard, smiling back at his wife and seemingly trying to avoid eye contact with Frank as the boy sits there feeling jealous and annoyed of Lindsey.

“I think that was just before we moved into that little apartment together back when we were in college, wasn’t it?” says Lindsey, glancing at Frank momentarily as if to see what his reaction is. Frank just keeps his head down and his mouth shut.

“Hmm, yeah I think it was,” says Gerard, seeming a little uncomfortable as he takes the serving dish from Lindsey and passes it across the table to their son.

“Mikey was just a little star in your eyes at that point,” says Lindsey dreamily. “Though, not for much longer after that, if you recall...” she adds with a little laugh.

Gerard nods and chuckles awkwardly and looks at Mikey, who just rolls his eyes at his parents.

“You’re gonna kill my appetite, Mom,” says Mikey sarcastically as he dishes out a small serving of stew into his bowl. 

Frank just bites his lip and tries not to draw any attention to himself by making a face or something, which he’s thinking he might do unconsciously because of how irritated he feels at Lindsey for bringing up all this stuff about her past with Gerard, which he‘s almost positive she’s doing intentionally just to make him jealous. He finally gives up on waiting and eats a spoonful of the fish stew. He’s astounded by how good it tastes—it definitely tastes like a dish Gerard has been cooking for twenty years.

“Wow, this is amazing, Mr. Way,” Frank compliments just before taking another bite. 

Gerard meets Frank’s eyes and smiles a bit as he takes the bowl of stew from Mikey and begins to serve himself last. “Thank you. I’m glad you like it,” he says.

“I got pretty lucky marrying a guy who cooks for me,” says Lindsey, smiling again as she plants a quick kiss on Gerard’s cheek. “Just one of the things I love about you, honey.”

Frank internally gags at the woman’s bragging and fake show of affection as he looks down into his bowl of delicious food.

“Thanks, Linds,” says Gerard. 

Frank doesn’t even want to look up to see Gerard’s facial expression as he replies to his wife. He wants nothing more right now than to get out of Lindsey’s presence, especially when she’s practically rubbing her relationship with Gerard in his face. He honestly just wants to leave and go cry alone in his room right now.

“So, Frank, how do you feel about Mikey going away to college next week?” asks Lindsey, looking at Frank with an insincere, smug smile on her face.

Frank finishes chewing before he speaks. “I’m gonna miss him a lot, obviously,” he replies, looking over at Mikey, who smiles. 

“I’ll be home some weekends and for holidays and stuff—it won’t be so bad,” says Mikey reassuringly.

“Are you going to be doing anything to further your own education? Or working? Or...anything?” asks Lindsey in a condescending manner. 

“Yeah, I’m gonna start working as soon as I get hired somewhere. I think it’ll be easier finding work in the fall when all the people with summer jobs go back to school.”

“Oh, good,” says Lindsey with another fake-sweet smile. “‘Cause you know what they say: idle hands are the devil’s playthings,” she adds with a hint of something sinister in her voice.

“Yeah, totally...” says Frank, looking down at his food again as Lindsey stares at him. He’s sure that what she’s really saying is that she’s glad he’ll be keeping busy with work so that his mind will be occupied and he’ll stay away from Gerard. _Wishful thinking, lady..._ Frank thinks to himself.

Mikey’s phone goes off a few times and he takes it out of his pocket and sighs as he reads the text-messages he’s just received. “It’s Alicia...” he says.

“Yeah? Sounds like she’s blowing up your phone—what’s she saying?” asks Frank.

“She wants to talk...” says Mikey unenthusiastically, seeming totally drained. 

“So call her after then,” says Frank, terrified that Mikey will leave him alone in an awkward situation sitting at the table with his parents.

“I have to call her now or she won’t leave me alone...” says Mikey. “I’ll be right back, okay?”

Frank nods and Mikey’s parents say it’s okay that he’s leaving the table before he’s finished his dinner. The three of them who are left at the dining table eat in silence for a few minutes while Mikey’s upstairs, and Frank’s heart is pounding from the nervousness he feels which is being caused by the awkward tension that’s filling the air. 

Gerard clears his throat after a while and scoots his chair back, announcing that he’s going to start washing up the dishes and getting the kitchen back in order. Frank internally screams at him for leaving him alone at the table with Lindsey. 

Lindsey smiles and says, “Thank you, honey,” as Gerard gets up and heads into the kitchen, but her smile immediately fades when she looks across the table at Frank. She waits until Gerard turns the kitchen faucet on before she speaks. “Did you sleep with him?” she asks blatantly, her eyes feeling like they’re burning holes into Frank’s skull.

Frank nearly chokes on the bite of stew that’s in his mouth. “Excuse me?” he says after he swallows.

“Did you sleep with my husband?” Lindsey reiterates before briefly looking over her shoulder, seemingly to check that Gerard is still preoccupied with washing the dishes and not listening to their conversation. “It’s a simple question,” she adds impatiently, seeing Frank’s stunned facial expression.

“No, I didn’t,” Frank lies, gripping his spoon tightly, just praying that this interaction will end soon. He can tell by the way Lindsey’s eyes are narrowing that she doesn’t believe him.

“I know you two were in the shower together that one day—he told me,” Lindsey says coldly.

Frank swallows hard. “Yeah, so?” he says.

“Listen, you little brat...” Lindsey begins, lowering her voice a bit and leaning in slightly. “Something more happened between you two and one way or another I’m gonna find out what it was. And when I do, you’re gonna wish that you’d told me the truth right here, right now,” she says threateningly.

Frank’s blood runs cold and he breaks eye contact with the woman for a moment, feeling nervous and like she’s seeing right through him. He wishes Gerard hadn’t left them sitting alone at the table together and he’s more than a little pissed off that the man had basically just left him to the wolves—or, wolf, singular, in this case.

“There’s nothing to tell,” says Frank, feeling his bottom lip begin to quiver from how nervous he is right now. 

Lindsey sits back in her seat. “Imagine how upset your mother would be if she knew what you’ve been up to...”

Frank swallows hard, not daring to ask the woman if she’s thinking of blackmailing him. “As if she’d believe you over me,” he says.

Lindsey smirks. “Wanna bet?” she asks. “I could ruin your fucking life if I wanted to. Just remember that the next time you even _think_ about my husband.”

Frank’s literally about to have a panic attack—he can’t stand being around this woman for one more second. So, with Gerard taking his sweet time doing the dishes and with no Mikey in sight, Frank pushes his chair back and gets up from the table. He storms out of the room with tears in his eyes and he doesn’t even know why he’s about to cry as he walks out of the house. 

As the boy makes his way home, he just feels like he’s totally in over his head. _What the hell was I thinking getting in the middle of their marriage?_ he thinks to himself as hot tears stream down his face. _As if Gerard would ever leave his wife for me...it’s never going to happen_ , he thinks glumly.

When he gets home he goes up to his room and lies on his bed with his face buried in his pillow, hating the fact that Lindsey had gotten to him like this. He’s convinced that this is exactly how she wanted him to react and it makes him feel even more upset as he lies there crying into cotton fabric. Frank’s not sure how long he lies there for, but he eventually falls asleep and is only woken up by his phone ringing in his pocket. He sleepily takes it out, noticing that it’s dark outside now, and sees that it’s Gerard calling.

Frank takes a deep breath before answering. “Hi,” he says curtly.

“Hey, Frankie,” Gerard says, seemingly unaware that Frank is upset with him despite his less than warm greeting. Frank hears the low hum of music playing in the background of the call. “I’m outside in the car. Come take a drive with me?” 

Frank sits up in bed, surprised that Gerard is asking to see him. “You’re out there right now?” he asks, looking at the clock and seeing that it’s just past ten o’ clock now. 

“Yeah,” Gerard replies, and Frank can tell he’s smiling. “You coming?”

“Yeah, I’ll be right there,” Frank replies without hesitation. “Just gimme a minute,” he adds before hanging up. 

Frank jumps out of bed and throws a black hoodie on over his grey T-shirt, leaving the hood up before he quickly leaves his room and heads downstairs. His mom is at work for the night so at least he doesn’t have to tell her where he’s going—not yet, anyway; she always ends up calling to ask where he’s at. He goes out the front door and sees Gerard sitting in his car which is parked at the curb. He walks up to the car, opens the passenger’s side door and gets in, shutting the door behind him before turning to face Gerard.

“Hey,” Gerard says softly, reaching over and carefully pushing Frank’s hood off of his head and gently stroking his cheek once with the back of his hand. 

“Hey.”

“You seemed upset when you left earlier...I just had to see you.”

“Oh, okay.”

There’s silence for a moment before Gerard speaks. “Lindsey told me you just got up and left out of nowhere...is that true?”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Frank says exasperatedly, leaning his head back against the leather seat. “That’s such bullshit. She’s just trying to cover up how rude she was to me.”

Gerard raises an eyebrow. “So, what happened?”

“She asked me if I slept with you.”

Gerard’s eyes go wide and then he looks pissed. “Are you serious?” 

“Yep. So, thanks for fucking abandoning me at the table, that was a _super_ fun conversation, as you can imagine...” Frank says sarcastically. “Anyway, regardless of how she spoke to me, that was like, so uncool of you to just leave me there with her, Gerard. Do you have any idea how fucking awkward that was for me?”

Gerard sighs. “I’m so sorry, Frankie,” he says. “There’s really no excuse for that. I should have used better judgement.”

“Damn right you should have,” says Frank. “Speaking of...why the hell did you go and tell her we were in the shower together? She told me you told her, right before she basically threatened me.”

“She _threatened_ you?”

“Yeah. She called me a brat and told me she could ruin my life if she wanted to, and she asked what my mom would think if she knew what I’ve “been up to.””

“Jesus Christ,” Gerard says exasperatedly, running a hand through his hair in frustration. “I had no idea. She told me you just got up and left for no reason.”

“Yeah, she’s a bitch—surprise,” says Frank flippantly, past the point of having any respect for the woman. “I wanna know why you told her we showered together.”

“Can I just explain to you how she even figured out there was something going on that day she came home and found us hanging out in the kitchen?”

“Sure, fine,” says Frank with an indifferent shrug.

“Okay. From what Lindsey told me, she came home and heard me talking to someone through the garage door. She was puzzled because I hadn’t said anything to her about having company over and she knew it wasn’t Mikey talking to me because she’d spoken to him five minutes earlier and he’d told her he was out with Alicia. 

“She told me that she listened with her ear pressed against the door for a moment, just wanting to mentally prepare herself for who was with me in case it was an aggravating family member or something, and soon she realized it was your voice she was hearing. As she listened, she heard when you asked me if I’d always thought you were attractive, and she heard me reply that I’ve always found you handsome. Then she heard you ask me if I thought you were sexy, and she heard me reply “only since you turned eighteen.” And that’s when she walked in because she didn’t want to hear any more; she was scared of what she might hear. 

“She said she could tell by our wet hair and by the way we didn’t smell like chlorine from the pool that we’d been in the shower together; so right off the bat she’d concluded that we’d been naked together. Anyway, right after you left she flat out asked me if there was something going on between us and I told her no. She said she knew I was lying since she’d just heard us talking through the door, and when she told me that, I admitted that you’d told me you have a crush on me. Then she got it out of me that yeah, we _had_ been in the shower together, but I denied touching you or doing anything sexual with you. So, all she knows for sure is that we showered together.”

“Shit...” says Frank, looking down at his lap as he absorbs the information he’s just been told. “No wonder she was so mean to me when I was leaving that day.”

“What’d she say to you?” Gerard asks, sounding so protective of the boy.

“She called me a slut, told me to stay away from you and Mikey, told me that I’m just your “play-thing” and that you don’t care about me, and was just really condescending and nasty.”

Gerard sighs and shakes his head in disbelief. “I can’t believe she spoke to you like that. You know none of that shit is true, right?”

Frank shrugs. “Honestly, lately I have been wondering if you actually care about me,” he admits, playing with a loose thread at the hem of his shorts.

“What? Why?” asks Gerard gently, sounding concerned that Frank has been thinking that way.

Frank shrugs again, still playing with the thread on his shorts. “I dunno...I guess it was just not seeing or hearing from you for two weeks after we had sex...and who knows how much longer it would have been if Mikey hadn’t invited me over today.”

“Baby...” Gerard says softly, taking Frank’s hand in his, stopping his fidgeting. 

Frank feels his eyes fill with tears and he feels them roll down onto his cheeks when he looks up at Gerard. 

“I’m so sorry I made you feel that way,” says Gerard softly, letting go of Frank’s hand so he can wipe the tears away from the boy’s cheeks. “I really wanted to see you and talk to you these past couple of weeks, but Lindsey’s been checking up on me and going through my phone and stuff lately because she doesn’t trust me anymore after what happened...it was impossible to contact you without getting caught.”

Frank nods, sniffing as he wipes his eyes with the sleeve of his hoodie, and Gerard holds his hand again. “I understand...it just sucks,” he says. “I don’t know why you let her control you the way she does.”

Gerard sighs. “I don’t know why, either. I feel like I don’t even know her anymore, especially after hearing how she spoke to you. She’s not the same woman I married. I‘m not sure if I even like her as a person anymore, to be honest. The fact that she talked to a kid that way—just imagine how she would have treated you if you were a grown adult. Like, I know I fucked up big time, but her treating you like that just doesn’t sit well with me at all.”

“She’s definitely not a nice person,” says Frank. “And I’m honestly kinda scared of her,” he admits.

“I’m just so sorry you had to go through that, baby...” Gerard says in a pained voice, reaching up and stroking Frank’s hair, affectionately tucking a lock of it behind his ear. Frank sees that Gerard really seems to feel bad about how Lindsey had spoken to him and he hopes the man isn’t blaming himself for it.

“It’s okay... You’ve already apologized like three times,” says Frank with a small smile. “It’s not even your fault.”

Gerard smiles back, taking the boy’s hand in his again and squeezing it lightly. “I don’t think you realize how special you are to me, Frankie...” he says.

Frank looks up at the man and smiles again, feeling a pleasant, warm feeling rising inside of him. “Why don’t you tell me, then?” he says softly, just wanting to hear the man say those three words to him.

Gerard seems to hesitate for a moment before he finally speaks. “I’m in love with you, Frankie,” he says, looking right into the boy’s hazel-green eyes.

Frank can’t help the big smile that immediately spreads across his face when he hears Gerard confess his feelings for him. He can’t remember ever feeling this happy before and he’s honestly lost for words, just sitting there with the biggest smile on his face as they hold hands in the car. 

Gerard has a similar smile on his face and he chuckles a bit before he speaks again. “Something tells me you like hearing me say that.”

Frank blushes and nods, still smiling. “Yeah, I definitely do,” he says.

Gerard chuckles again. “This is crazy...” he muses, smiling as he affectionately strokes Frank’s hair. “I love you so much, baby,” he says sincerely.

Frank feels the pleasant sensation of butterflies filling his stomach and he feels sort of dazed by how happy he feels right now. “I love you, too, Gerard,” he says dreamily.

Gerard leans in and gently presses his lips against Frank’s, making the boy breathe out a contented little sigh as they kiss. He then slips his tongue past Frank’s lips and soon they’re making out passionately, though it’s a little tough for Frank to get as close to Gerard as he’d like to with the car’s drink holder and E-brake console in-between them. 

When they part their lips Gerard takes Frank’s hand in his again and intertwines their fingers. “What do you wanna do?” he asks. 

Frank shrugs, still smiling dazedly. “I dunno. This is fine,” he says honestly, giggling a little as he does. Just sitting here with Gerard is enough for him to feel contented.

“Hmm...” says Gerard, looking up for a second as he thinks. “Do you wanna get ice cream or something? I can go to a drive-thru.”

Frank’s eyes light up when he realizes how much he’d really like some ice cream right now. “Yeah, okay,” he says, smiling.

“All right, let’s go,” says Gerard, leaning over and kissing Frank once more, making the boy melt.

They both then put their seatbelts on before Gerard starts the car up and begins to drive, with the two of them holding hands as he does.

“What’d you tell Mikey after I left?” asks Frank, feeling bad about basically abandoning his friend. “I didn’t even say bye to him or anything,” he adds, taking out his phone from his pocket with one hand. He doesn’t see any new messages from Mikey.

“He was actually on the phone with Alicia for like an hour, so he wasn’t even surprised that you were gone when he finally came back downstairs,” says Gerard, flicking on the turn signal.

“Oh, good,” says Frank, relieved. He decides to send Mikey a text to see how he’s holding up.

“He’s miserable,” Gerard comments, sounding a little sad. 

“Yeah...” says Frank with a sigh. “I feel so bad for him.”

“He’ll be all right, though; it’ll just take some time for him to adjust, like with any change,” says Gerard.

Frank nods and begins tapping out a text-message and sending it to Mikey.

 **Frank** : _hey, how’s it going? sorry i just left earlier, i wasn’t sure how much longer u were gonna be on the phone. hope everything’s okay? love u buddy._

“He didn’t tell either of us that you were coming over,” says Gerard.

Frank laughs. “Yeah, I could tell by the look on your face as soon as you saw me.”

Gerard chuckles. “It was a nice surprise, though Lindsey thought otherwise...”

Frank rolls his eyes at the mention of Lindsey. “I could definitely tell she didn’t want me there,” he says. “I still can’t fucking believe she told you I just left out of nowhere, for no reason.”

“Maybe she lied about it as a way of throwing it back in my face that I lied to her about sleeping with you,” says Gerard, looking over at Frank as he pulls to a stop at a red light.

“She doesn’t know for sure that we slept together though.”

“She fucking knows...I can tell,” says Gerard. “I don’t think either of us have to admit it for her to just _know_. She’s good at reading people that way.”

Frank sighs. “Did you know that Mikey knows something’s going on?”

“I wouldn’t doubt that he’s picked up on the fact that something’s fucked up, but I don’t think he knows any details.”

“Uh...well, he kinda does.”

Gerard looks over at Frank with a puzzled expression on his face as he begins to drive again after the traffic light turns green. “What does he know?” he asks.

“He knows about you being in the shower with someone else, but he doesn’t know with who.”

“Shit,” says Gerard, looking at the road again. “So he heard Lindsey and I talking, I’m guessing?” 

“Yeah,” says Frank. “He just mentioned it to me today while we were sitting by the pool,” he adds just as his phone goes off, signalling a new text-message which he reads immediately.

 **Mikey** : _It’s all good, man. But damn, she kept me on the phone for like a whole fucking hour, basically just crying and making me feel guilty about things that happened like a year ago. We were both crying and upset and it was just a mess. I’m done with her now though. Not picking up her calls anymore. Anyway, hope we can hang out lots before I leave next week. Love you too man, thanks for always being there for me._

 **Frank** : _yeah we def have to hang out lots before u leave!! i’ll msg u tomorrow <3 _

“What would you like?” asks Gerard as he turns into the drive-thru lane at the ice cream place and stops the car next to the lit-up menu.

“Umm...I’ll get a chocolate milkshake, please,” says Frank.

Gerard orders the milkshake for Frank and a fruit smoothie for himself and then he parks the car in the parking lot of the restaurant once they have their drinks.

“Would it be illegal if I gave you a blowjob while we’re parked here?” asks Frank, thinking out loud in-between sips of his ice-cold milkshake.

Gerard’s eyes widen and he nearly chokes on his smoothie as he looks over at Frank. “Yeah, definitely illegal,” he says with a laugh. “We’d have to park somewhere much less public than the parking lot of a fast-food place if we were gonna have car-sex.”

Frank giggles. “Okay,” he says, looking at Gerard expectantly, hoping he’ll go for this.

Gerard laughs again, apparently catching on to what Frank is asking. “Baby...” he says, affectionately placing his hand on Frank’s thigh. “As much as I want you, you know I can’t go home smelling like sex right now...” he says.

“We don’t have to fuck,” says Frank casually. “I just really wanna blow you...”

“Damn...” Gerard says, biting his lip, thinking. “Is your mom home?” he asks.

“No,” says Frank, shaking his head. “She’s working a night shift; she won’t be home ‘til morning.”

“Okay...do you wanna head back there?”

Frank smiles. “Fuck yeah,” he says.

Gerard starts the car and makes the short drive back to Frank’s house, parking the car on the street out front. When they get inside they go right upstairs to Frank’s bedroom where Frank shuts the door behind them and turns on the bedside table lamp.

“Sorry it’s messy...I wasn’t expecting company,” says Frank, feeling a little embarrassed as he quickly clears some of his laundry off his bed and throws it into the overflowing hamper in the closet.

“It’s okay, it’s fine, baby...” says Gerard, pulling Frank close to him and kissing him deeply as he wraps his strong arms around the boy’s waist. “It’s so crazy how much I love you, Frankie...” he says softly in between kisses. 

“Are you trying to make me faint? ‘Cause I just might...” says Frank, smiling against Gerard’s lips.

Gerard chuckles and walks them back towards the bed, sitting down on the edge of it and pulling Frank down onto his lap so that the boy is straddling his legs with his arms draped over his broad shoulders. “You’re so fucking cute...” he says before kissing Frank again, making him absolutely melt. Gerard slides his hands down Frank’s back and cups his ass over his shorts, squeezing lightly as they make out.

Frank moans into the kiss, completely enjoying being this close to Gerard again. He slips a hand down between their bodies and starts rubbing it against Gerard’s hard cock, which is straining against the fabric of his athletic shorts.

“Mmm, baby...” Gerard moans in his deep voice against Frank’s lips as the boy touches him. “You want that dick in your mouth?”

Frank nearly shudders from the arousal he feels from making Gerard moan like that. “Yes, please, daddy,” he says, nodding as their eyes are locked on each other’s.

Gerard smiles a little half-smile that Frank finds sexy as hell before he speaks again. “Go on, then...” he prompts. 

Frank slides off of Gerard’s lap and down onto his knees on the floor between the man’s legs, looking up at him the entire time. Gerard lifts up for a second so that he can pull his shorts and underwear down to his mid-thighs, exposing himself. Frank’s mouth is hanging open as he looks at Gerard’s cock—it’s been a while since he’s seen it and it looks even bigger than he remembers, if that’s even possible.

“Fuck...” Frank whispers under his breath, just staring as he wraps his small hand around the thick, hard shaft. 

“Yeah, that’s all for you, baby boy,” says Gerard, gently placing a hand on the back of Frank’s head, tangling his fingers in his dark hair.

“Thank you, daddy,” Frank says, looking up at Gerard with a little smile on his face before he takes the head into his mouth and teasingly swirls his tongue around the tip.

“Oh my God, baby...that’s fucking good,” Gerard moans, tightening his grip on Frank’s hair as the boy continues to tease him with his tongue.

Frank then places his hands on Gerard’s hairy, muscular thighs and starts bobbing his head up and down quickly, repeatedly sliding his moist lips up and down Gerard’s cock while the man pretty much loses it, moaning and cursing above him.

“Look up at me,” Gerard says breathily, pulling Frank’s hair a bit, tilting his head back until their eyes meet. “Yeah, that’s it, baby...that’s a good boy,” he says in a low voice as they stare at each other while Frank continues to suck him off.

Frank decides to try deep-throating Gerard’s cock; he tries to relax his throat as much as he can as he lowers his head, swallowing inch after inch of the man’s thick cock until his lips feel the slight tickle of his pubes. At that point Frank’s gag reflex is stimulated and he pulls off, coughing a bit and breathing hard as his eyes water, and leaving a string of saliva connecting his lips to the tip of Gerard’s cock. 

“Holy _fuck_ , Frankie...” says Gerard, stroking the boy’s hair as he looks down at him. “You’re so fucking good at that.”

Frank smiles a bit before taking Gerard’s cock into his mouth again, going deep, this time with Gerard pushing his head down until his throat is completely filled with his cock.

“That’s it, baby...choke on that dick; make daddy come,” says Gerard. 

Frank wants to be such a good boy for his daddy but he needs air so he taps his hands on the man’s thighs and Gerard lets him up, still gripping tightly onto his hair at the back of his head. Frank is panting and tears are rolling down his cheeks from his gag reflex and he feels so fucking turned on by how Gerard’s basically using his throat to get off.

“Such a good boy, Frankie,” says Gerard, leaning forward and gently kissing Frank’s forehead. “You okay?” he asks, wiping the fallen tears off of the boy’s cheeks with his thumbs

Frank nods. “Oh yeah, I’m good,” he says with a smile, looking up at Gerard. “Love choking on that big dick...” he says with a little smirk.

Gerard chuckles and bites his bottom lip. “You’re so fucking naughty and sexy, baby...c’mere...” he says, leaning forward again and tilting Frank’s chin up for a kiss. 

Frank moans into the kiss and wraps his hand around Gerard’s cock, jerking him off as they make out, causing Gerard to moan, too. Wanting more, Frank pulls back and starts sucking Gerard off again, this time working his hand up and down on the shaft while he sucks on the head and swirls his tongue around it.

“Goddamn, that feels amazing...” Gerard groans pleasantly, closing his eyes and throwing his head back. “You’re getting me so fucking close...” he breathes out.

Suddenly Frank’s phone starts ringing in the pocket of his shorts but he ignores it, totally concentrating on getting Gerard off with his mouth. He tries deep-throating the man’s cock once more and is glad when he feels Gerard’s hand in his hair again, tangling his fingers in the boy’s dark locks as he fills his throat with his cock. 

“I’m gonna come...” Gerard says breathily.

Frank pulls off, gasping for air with his eyes watering, as Gerard starts jerking himself off. Frank opens his mouth and soon Gerard is moaning and blowing his big load right into it. 

“Holy fuck...” says Gerard, breathing hard as he looks down at Frank after his orgasm.

Frank swallows the mouthful of cum he’s holding and then he looks up at Gerard with a satisfied smile, breathing hard as well, just as his phone starts to ring again. Frank fishes his phone out of the pocket of his shorts and sees that it’s his mom calling. “Fuck, sorry, I need to take this...” he says, looking up at Gerard again, immediately surprised to hear that his voice comes out a little hoarse-sounding after deep-throating Gerard’s cock so many times. 

“It’s okay, I don’t mind; go ahead,” says Gerard, sounding a little dazed as he comes down from his intense orgasm.

Frank answers the call, still kneeling between Gerard’s legs with one hand on the man’s bare thigh. “Hey, Mom,” he says.

“Hey, sweetie. Where are you? What are you up to?” asks Linda on the other end.

“I’m just at home, not really doing much,” Frank says, looking up at Gerard who smirks down at him.

“Oh, okay. I’m just on my break right now, thought I’d check in,” says Linda. “Did you eat dinner at Mikey’s?”

“Yeah, I did. His dad made this Italian fish stew—it was really good,” says Frank, smiling a bit as he looks up at Gerard again. Gerard smiles back and leans forward to kiss Frank’s forehead sweetly, making the kid feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

“Ooh, that sounds different and delicious,” Linda comments. “Hey, how come you sound so hoarse and out of br—oh...you know what, never mind...” says Linda, stopping her train of thought mid-sentence and sounding embarrassed suddenly. Frank facepalms as he cringes from the awkwardness. “I’ll see you in the morning, sweetie. Be safe, love you,” she says quickly as if she can’t get off the phone fast enough.

“‘Kay, Mom. Love you, too. Bye,” Frank says quickly before he hangs up and slides his phone into the pouch-pocket of his hoodie.

““How come you sound so hoarse and out of breath?”” Gerard quotes teasingly, looking like he’s holding back a laugh. 

“Fuck...” Frank groans, shaking his head. “She totally knows I was sucking dick...” 

Gerard laughs and ruffles Frank’s hair, apparently amused by his embarrassment. “It’ll be fine; she’ll forget about it,” he says reassuringly as he pulls up his shorts and underwear. “C’mere; come lie down with me...” he says, hooking his hands under Frank’s armpits and lifting him up to his feet.

Frank stands and then squishes onto his twin size bed with Gerard and lies down next to him with his head on the man’s firm chest and his arm draped across his abdomen. Gerard looks uncomfortable for a moment until he reaches underneath his back and pulls out the small, blue stuffed teddybear that Frank sleeps with every night, much to the boy’s embarrassment.

Gerard chuckles as he holds up the stuffed animal, probably noticing how red Frank’s face has gotten over the last few seconds. “Do you cuddle this little guy at night?” he asks, sounding amused.

“I’ve had him since I was like five-years-old, okay...” Frank says defensively, reaching for the teddybear and pouting when Gerard moves it away from him, just out of his reach.

“Aww, so you _do_ cuddle him while you sleep—that’s cute, baby.”

“Is it?” asks Frank carefully, not wanting Gerard to think of him as immature or something. 

“Yeah, for sure,” says Gerard, kissing Frank softly. “He can hang out right here...” he says endearingly after their lips part, tucking the teddybear right in-between their two bodies.

Frank smiles, feeling all warm inside, and gazes dreamily up at Gerard as they lie there together. “I love you so much,” he says.

“I love you, too,” Gerard returns before kissing the boy’s forehead. 

“Can you stay ‘til morning?” asks Frank hopefully, nuzzling his face into the crook of Gerard’s neck.

“I wish I could, but you know I can’t...” says Gerard gently as Frank clings to him. Frank’s heart sinks even though he’d expected that answer.

Frank sighs and holds Gerard a little tighter, really not wanting him to leave. “Yeah, I know,” he says glumly. 

Gerard looks over at the clock on Frank’s bedside table and sighs. “It’s late; I should get going...” he says. 

Frank nods, knowing Gerard is right, and they both get out of bed and head downstairs to the front door where Gerard pulls Frank into a tight embrace, enveloping him in his strong arms.

“I’m so happy we got to spend some time alone together,” Gerard says.

“Me too,” says Frank, loving how tightly Gerard is holding him right now. “Thanks for coming to see me.”

“Of course, baby; I’d come see you every day if I could,” Gerard says just before they part. 

Frank smiles. “I wish,” he says.

Gerard leans in and softly kisses Frank’s lips. “G’night, Frankie,” he says afterwards.

“Night, Gerard. Love you.”

“Love you, too, baby,” Gerard says with a smile just before he walks out the door and down the driveway to where his car is parked on the street. Frank watches as he gets into the car and starts the engine and they wave at each other as he drives away.

That night, Frank falls asleep contentedly, clutching his favourite stuffed teddybear with his heart full and with the pleasant scent of Gerard’s aftershave still fresh on his pillow.


	8. Chapter 8

“That’ll be seven dollars and eighty cents, please,” says Frank as he rings up another order for a customer at the local vegan café where he’d been hired at last week. “Would you like your receipt?” he asks after the customer taps their credit card against the point-of-sale terminal. The customer declines and Frank tells them to “have a nice day” as they head over to a table to wait to be served with their latté and toasted bagel.

It’s one o’ clock in the afternoon right now and not particularly busy in the small café. Jamia, Frank’s coworker and supervisor, is working on the latest order while Frank begins to re-stock some items since there are no more customers lined up at the front counter. Jamia brings the last customer their order and then returns behind the counter and starts helping Frank re-stock.

Mikey has been away at college for a couple of weeks now and Frank’s new job has been keeping him occupied as he doesn’t really have anyone to hang out with now that Mikey’s away. Frank hasn’t heard from Gerard since the night the man had confessed his feelings for him, and he’s feeling down and forgotten. He knows why Gerard can’t call him and text him and see him all the time but it’s still frustrating and he wishes they had the freedom to be open about their relationship instead of hiding it from everyone around them. 

“So, did you go on any trips during the summer?” asks Jamia, trying to make conversation with her new coworker as she tops up the stack of small paper coffee cups on the counter.

Frank looks up, coming back into the present moment after getting lost in his thoughts about Gerard. “Uh, no, not really,” he says, shaking his head. 

“Really? You didn’t go on a graduation trip or anything?”

Frank shakes his head. “No—that would have been sweet though,” he says. “Did you go anywhere?”

“Nowhere out of the country, but I went on a couple of road trips and a few weekend camping trips with my girlfriend and our friends,” says Jamia.

“That sounds fun,” says Frank, more intrigued by Jamia now that he knows she’s dating a girl. “I went hiking once with my boyfriend this summer and almost died,” says Frank casually.

“You almost _died_? What the fuck happened?” 

“I just have really shit cardio, that’s all,” says Frank, laughing when Jamia rolls her eyes at him.

“Jesus, I thought you meant that you literally almost died...” says Jamia, beginning to restock the large paper coffee cups now.

“Like how? Attacked by a cougar or something?”

“Yeah. Either that or, like...maybe you fell off a cliff or something,” she says casually with a little shrug.

Frank laughs again. “Happens all the time,” he jokes.

“What else did you do for fun this summer?”

Frank shrugs. “I basically just hung out with my best friend, Mikey. We’d mostly just hang out by the pool in his backyard,” he says. “I honestly don’t really have any other friends besides him, and now he’s away at college so it’s kinda shitty just going from home to work then back and repeat.”

“Bullshit you don’t have any other friends—we’re friends now, okay?” says Jamia, her expression almost daring him to say no, but in a friendly way.

Frank smiles. “Okay, sweet,” he says, nodding. 

In talking with Jamia, Frank finds out that she’s twenty-one-years-old, she’s in her third year of college studying science and she enjoys going to local punk rock shows. She promises to invite Frank out to the next show she goes to and Frank is excited about going with her and hanging out with a new group of people. 

The bell on the café door jingles, signalling another customer walking in, and Jamia immediately goes up to the counter to greet them while Frank stays back, continuing to re-stock the shelves. Frank hears the customer order a turkey sandwich on multigrain bread and he turns around when he recognizes the familiar voice. When he sees Gerard standing at the counter, he’s almost positive that he’s dreaming. The man is wearing a white T-shirt underneath a pair of black overalls and he has a brown, leather tool belt around his waist which looks pretty heavy to Frank with the amount of tools it’s holding. His hair looks slightly matted and damp as though he’s just taken off a hard hat. Frank finds Gerard’s rugged work look incredibly hot.

When Gerard sees Frank behind the counter his eyes and face immediately light up as he smiles warmly. “Hey, Frankie,” he says brightly as he hands Jamia a ten dollar bill to pay for his sandwich and then tells her to keep the change.

Frank can’t contain the grin he has on his face right now as he goes up to the counter and Jamia looks at him curiously. “Hey, Gerard,” he says dreamily, still in disbelief that the man he loves and hasn’t seen in two weeks is actually here, standing right in front of him. Frank just wants to jump the counter and give him a big hug and a kiss.

“What time do you get your break at?” asks Gerard, still smiling. “I’m gonna be sitting in here for a bit if you wanna join me?”

“Yeah, of course I do...” Frank begins, glancing at Jamia. “Hey, Jamia, is it cool if I take a quick break now?” he asks.

“Yeah, that’s fine. Just come back and help me if it gets busy,” Jamia says, still eyeing him curiously.

“Yeah, for sure. Thank you,” says Frank.

Frank walks around to the other side of the counter, teeming with excitement as he follows Gerard to a table and sits down across from him. Frank’s a little disappointed that they haven’t hugged but he’s still just happy to see Gerard.

“I missed you so much, baby,” Gerard says sincerely. He gently grasps one of Frank’s hands, lifts it to his mouth and softly kisses the back of it.

Frank blushes, practically melting inside from having his hand kissed so romantically. “I missed you, too,” he says, smiling as his hand is lowered back down to the tabletop.

“I would’ve hugged you but I’m covered in dirt,” says Gerard, glancing down at his overalls for a second.

“I wouldn’t have cared,” Frank admits with a shrug, looking up at Gerard with the utmost admiration as the man chuckles. “Did you know I’d be here?”

“No, I had no idea. It’s such a nice surprise to see you,” says Gerard. “The project I’ve been working on is located just down the street from here.”

“Oh, I thought maybe Mikey had mentioned it. I just got hired here last week.”

“Well, congrats on the new job. How are you liking it so far?”

“It’s good so far. Jamia’s pretty chill,” says Frank. “So...what do you do for work?” he asks, eyeing Gerard’s attire.

“I’m a construction manager for a home building company.”

“Oh, okay,” says Frank, nodding, but still not really having a clue as to what kind of tasks Gerard does during his workday. 

“I can bore you with the details some other time,” Gerard says with a small chuckle, probably noticing the clueless expression on Frank’s face.

“Yeah, okay,” says Frank, nodding again as he smiles. He really can’t stop smiling because he’s just so happy to see Gerard.

“So, how’ve you been?” asks Gerard as Jamia brings around his sandwich. “Thank you,” he says, looking up at Jamia for a moment before she walks away.

“Honestly...I’ve been pretty lonely without being able to see you or Mikey,” Frank says. 

“Aww, baby... I don’t like hearing that,” says Gerard, looking concerned. “What are you doing tonight?” he asks before taking a bite of his sandwich. 

“Uh...going home and sleeping. Not much else to do really.”

”Can I pick you up from your house later and drive us somewhere so we can spend some time together?”

Frank smiles, excited by the prospect of getting to spend time with Gerard tonight. “Yeah, I’d love that,” he says, nodding. 

“What time can I come get you?”

“My mom’s not working tonight, so it’ll have to be after she’s asleep...”

“So, like, around midnight?” 

“Yeah, something like that.”

“Okay. I’ll send you a text before I leave.”

“Sounds good. Don’t you have to be up early for work tomorrow?”

“Yeah. I have a bad habit of staying up late every night anyway though. Either doing work stuff or just sitting in the hot tub relaxing.”

“Remember that night when I joined you in the hot tub?”

Gerard chuckles. “Yeah. How could I forget that?”

“That was the night we kissed for the first time,” says Frank dreamily.

“That was also the night when I knew you were trouble,” says Gerard with a little smirk.

“You love that I’m trouble though,” says Frank cheekily, smiling.

“You know I do, baby; I love everything about you,” says Gerard.

“God, you’re so fucking sweet to me,” says Frank breathily, blushing adorably. 

Gerard smiles. “What time does your shift end today?” he asks.

“We close at four and then I get off at four-thirty after we clean up,” says Frank. “What about you?”

“I’m off at three. Just taking a late lunch break; it was so fucking busy today.”

“I’m glad you’re almost done,” says Frank. He looks over at the front counter and sees that there are three customers lined up and that Jamia’s looking over at him with a “get your ass back here and help me” look on her face. “Shit, I need to get back to work now,” he says, standing up.

“Okay. I’m gonna be taking off pretty quick here. See you tonight?” 

“Yeah, definitely,” says Frank, smiling. 

“C’mere...gimme a kiss before you go,” Gerard says, taking Frank’s hand and gently pulling him closer.

Frank is surprised that Gerard is initiating a public kiss right now but he gladly leans in and kisses Gerard softly on the lips as the man is still sitting down at the café table. It takes all of Frank’s restraint to pull back after just one kiss because there’s something about kissing Gerard in public that he finds so exciting; it makes it feel like they’re actually a couple. 

Frank looks at Gerard longingly with a dazed smile on his face after the kiss and Gerard smiles knowingly. “You’ll get more later. Get back to work,” Gerard says with a little smirk.

They say bye to each other again and then Frank finally goes back behind the counter to help Jamia by preparing the orders. The café is steadily busy for about twenty more minutes before it dies down again, giving the two coworkers a chance to chat. 

“Who was that guy you were sitting with earlier?” Jamia asks curiously as Frank wipes down the countertops.

“That was my boyfriend,” says Frank proudly.

Jamia looks puzzled for a moment. “How come he was wearing a wedding band?” she asks.

Frank blushes, surprised and a little embarrassed that Jamia had noticed that. “It’s complicated, okay...” he says. 

“Complicated as in he’s fucking _married_?”

“Well, yeah, sorta...”

“He’s _sorta_ married, Frank?” Jamia says, placing a hand on her hip and looking at her friend incredulously.

“Okay, yeah, he’s married. So what?” Frank says irritably, shrugging dismissively.

“ _So what_?” says Jamia, raising an eyebrow. “Dude, okay...I know I don’t really know you that well, but don’t you think it’s a bad idea getting involved with a married man?”

“Of course I do. I can’t help it if we’re in love though.”

Jamia’s eyes widen as she looks at Frank. “I don’t even know why I’m surprised, because the way his face lit up when he saw you and the way he pulled you in for a kiss when you were leaving kinda made it obvious,” she says.

Frank smiles. “He’s like...incredibly sweet.”

Jamia smiles, too. “You guys _are_ really cute together,” she admits. “And he seems to make you really happy, too.”

“He does make me happy, for sure,” says Frank, smiling again.

“Do you think he’ll leave whoever he’s married to so that you two can be together?”

Frank sighs. “I fucking wish he would ‘cause his wife is a total bitch, but I doubt it...” he says. 

“Why don’t you think he will? He still loves her?”

Frank shrugs. “I honestly can’t tell if he still loves her or not. He must, otherwise wouldn’t he just ask her for a divorce?”

Jamia shakes her head. “Sometimes it’s not that simple. Maybe he doesn’t love her anymore but he’s just too scared to do anything about it? It’s a big step, going through with a divorce, especially if they’ve been married for a long time. Or, maybe he wants to leave her for you but he’s not sure if you’re serious about him or if this is just a teenage phase for you?”

“You’re making my head spin,” says Frank, suddenly feeling overwhelmed from contemplating the possibilities of what Gerard might be thinking. “Do you think I should just straight-up ask him?”

“I would if I were you,” says Jamia. “Do they have kids?”

“Yeah, they have a son who’s my age. He’s my best friend, actually...”

“Oh my God...” says Jamia, laughing a bit. “I dunno why I’m laughing...I’m sorry. This is just such a shitty situation you put yourself in.” 

“Fuck...I know,” Frank groans. “Am I a horrible person? Be honest...”

“You’re not, Frank,” says Jamia. “Trust me—I’d let you know if you were,” she says with a smirk.

“I’m definitely a shitty friend though,” says Frank. “Like...Mikey told me his dad was cheating on his mom and he was upset about it and I just sat there and pretended to be surprised. I basically lied to his face.”

“Hmm...yeah, that’s definitely a shitty friend move,” says Jamia. 

Frank sighs. “I feel so guilty about it.”

“Would you consider telling Mikey the truth?”

“Fuck...I dunno,” Frank admits. “I haven’t even told him I’m gay.”

“Oh...” Jamia says, nodding slowly. That...complicates things a bit.”

*

It’s just past midnight and Frank is lying awake in bed eating candy and watching a movie on his tablet. He’s dressed in shorts and a hoodie, ready for when Gerard finally messages him to say he’s leaving. He’s sure his mom is asleep now because she works early the next morning and she always makes a point of taking her sleeping pill at nine o’ clock sharp when she plans to be up early. Frank’s heart jumpstarts when he finally hears his phone go off, signalling a new text message from Gerard.

 **Gerard** : _hey, i’m about to leave. u good to meet me still?_

 **Frank** : _yes! i can’t wait to see you_

 **Gerard** : _can’t wait to see u either. i’ll be there in a few_

 **Frank** : _okay, see u soon_

Frank gets out of bed and quietly heads downstairs. He opens the front door, being careful not to wake his mom, and then heads outside to wait for Gerard in the driveway. It’s a warm night but the air feels cool against Frank’s legs as he stands there waiting with sweater paws pulled over both of his hands. When Gerard’s car pulls up he immediately walks towards the passenger’s side door, opening it and then letting himself in.

“Hey, sweet boy,” says Gerard with a warm smile.

“Hey,” says Frank, climbing in and shutting the car door behind him. He immediately leans in towards Gerard and kisses him, placing his right palm against the man’s left cheek, loving the feel of the prickly stubble against his skin. 

“You taste nice,” Gerard comments once Frank pulls away.

“I was eating candy,” Frank says, giggling a bit.

Gerard chuckles as he begins to drive. “To help you stay awake?”

“No; I was too excited about seeing you to even think about sleeping.”

“Aww...” Gerard says, affectionately placing a hand on Frank’s knee. 

Frank takes Gerard’s hand in his and he smiles. “Where are we going?” he asks, noticing that it seems like Gerard is driving with purpose as if he has a destination in mind. 

“Somewhere special,” is all Gerard lets on.

They chat casually during the short drive and eventually Gerard parks the vehicle and turns off the engine. Frank looks out the window and sees that they’re in this park that’s basically like an open field with an unobstructed view of the clear, starry night sky. 

Gerard takes off his seatbelt and opens the door on his side. He looks over at Frank with a smile and says, “come on.”

Frank follows suit and takes off his seatbelt and opens the passenger’s side door before hopping out of the car and walking around the back of the vehicle to meet Gerard, who’s poised to open the hatchback. Puzzled, Frank watches as Gerard opens the door and then he smiles, pleasantly surprised at what he sees. Gerard has folded down the backseats and set up an air mattress in the trunk of the car with a few fluffy blankets and pillows. There’s a small, sealed pink box on top of the blankets with a single red rose on top of it. Gerard is smiling as he watches Frank’s expression and he flicks a switch somewhere and soon the back of the car is illuminated with soft yellow glow from the string lights draped across the back of the front seats.

“Oh my God...” Frank says, completely in awe of this dream-like, romantic setup. “Gerard, this is adorable and so sweet...” he says, looking over at him and feeling really emotional all of a sudden.

“Come on, let’s get in,” says Gerard gently. He takes off his shoes and then climbs up into the back of the car, holding out his hand to help pull Frank up after the kid takes his own shoes off.

The two of them get comfy on the mattress with the blankets pulled up over their legs as they sit up. Gerard’s legs are outstretched and Frank’s are crisscrossed.

Gerard gestures towards the pink box with the rose on top. “For you,” he says, then looking over at Frank who smiles and blushes. “It’s sort of a late grad gift.”

Frank shakes his head in disbelief. “I wasn’t expecting any of this...you’re so sweet to me, Gerard,” he says. He begins to open the pink box that’s sitting on top of the blankets in front of him. He sees a glint of steel inside the box and he reaches in and pulls out a butt plug—about two sizes larger than the one he has already—that has the words “daddy’s boy” engraved on the hilt. Frank smiles widely. “Oh my God...” he says, examining the sex toy. 

“You like it, sweetheart?”

Frank nods, looking up at Gerard. “Yeah, I love it so much. Thank you.”

“There’s more in there...”

Frank reaches into the box again and this time pulls out a pair of pink and black panties that have an open area in the back. “Wow...these are so fucking cute, babe,” he muses, holding up the lingerie. 

“I know—I can’t wait to see you in them; they’re gonna look so sexy on you.”

Frank blushes again and puts his gifts back in the box. “Thank you, daddy,” he says, smiling sweetly at Gerard.

“You’re welcome, sweet boy,” says Gerard, smiling back before kissing Frank’s lips softly.

Gerard then puts one of his strong arms around Frank’s waist, pulling the kid over until he’s sitting between the older man’s outstretched legs with his back pressed up against Gerard’s firm chest while they’re still underneath the blankets. Gerard wraps his arms around Frank’s middle and the boy sighs lightly and gets the pleasant sensation of butterflies in his stomach when Gerard starts to softly kiss his neck.

Frank feels his dick get hard pretty much immediately after Gerard starts kissing him and he suddenly feels so needy for the man’s touch. Frank leans his head back against Gerard’s shoulder and grips the man’s right wrist, guiding his hand underneath the waistband of his shorts and boxers until Gerard’s hand is touching his hard cock.

Gerard chuckles a bit and then pulls his hand out of Frank’s boxers, sliding it up the warm skin of his abdomen and then rubbing his palms against his nipples, teasing them and making Frank whimper softly from how sensitive to touch they are right now.

“Is there something you want?” Gerard says softly right into Frank’s ear with a hint of teasing in his tone of voice. He pinches one of Frank’s nipples, making the boy squirm pleasantly between his legs and tightly grip his muscular thighs.

“Yeah...want you to touch me,” says Frank needily.

Gerard gently kisses Frank’s ear and then slowly trails kisses down to his neck again, lightly sucking on his skin with each one. “You want daddy to touch you and make you come?” he asks, still speaking softly as he kisses Frank’s neck.

“Yes, please,” says Frank, nodding, remembering his manners.

Gerard seems pleased by Frank’s response and he slips his hand down the front of his shorts and boxers again, wrapping his large hand around Frank’s hard cock, beginning to stroke it up and down slowly. Frank can’t believe how fucking good it feels to be touched by Gerard again; he feels like he’s gonna come so quickly from this but he doesn’t care—he only cares about how good he feels right now.

“I wanna fuck your tight little hole...” Gerard says, his voice barely a whisper into Frank’s ear as he jerks him off with increasing speed. 

Frank moans and arches his back against Gerard’s body. “Please, daddy...” he says breathily, just wanting to be as close as possible to Gerard. He feels Gerard’s erection poking into his back and he suddenly feels even needier to feel it inside him, remembering how amazing it had felt the first time. 

“Yeah? You want that, too, baby boy?” asks Gerard teasingly, still jerking Frank’s cock back and forth in his hand.

Frank is so fucking close to coming now and he feels his muscles tense up from the intensity of the pleasure he’s feeling. “Fuck yes...” he manages to choke out, gripping tightly onto Gerard’s thighs again and arching his back. 

Gerard lets go of Frank’s cock and pulls his hand out of his shorts and boxers. “Not gonna let you come yet,” he says as Frank leans back against his body, panting from his near-orgasm. “Lie down on your back.”

Frank lifts himself over Gerard’s leg and lies down on his back on the air mattress, and in a second Gerard pulls off his shorts and boxers before pushing his knees back as far as they will go, spreading him open. Frank watches Gerard moisten his fingers by sucking on them for a second and then he moans when he feels one of them pressing against his tight opening while the two of them hold intense eye contact. Gerard’s finger enters Frank and the boy arches his back and moans again as he’s beginning to be fingered slowly. 

“Does that feel good, baby?” asks Gerard, a slight smirk on his face as he looks down at Frank.

“Yeah...yes, daddy,” Frank says breathily, nodding as he looks up at Gerard with a needy look in his eyes. “Please just fuck me now; I don’t care if it hurts,” he says, feeling like he can’t wait any longer to feel Gerard inside him again.

Gerard bites his lip, reacting to Frank’s neediness. “Baby, I don’t wanna hurt you...” he says. He pulls out his finger and then drips a glob of saliva down onto Frank’s hole before pressing into him with two digits, entering him suddenly and making Frank gasp and arch his back against the mattress again. “Just wanna make you feel good...so fucking good,” he says, curling his fingers inside of Frank, making him moan loudly as his prostate is stimulated.

“Oh _fuck_...” Frank moans, feeling his dick pulsing against his belly from how hard it is right now. “I want you so bad... _please_ , daddy...” he begs, grabbing at Gerard’s thick forearm.

Gerard bites his lip again and runs his free hand through his hair. “Fuck, you’re so sexy, baby...love hearing you beg for that dick inside you,” he says, looking Frank’s smaller body up and down as he continues to finger his tight hole. “You’re gonna have to get it wet, okay?” he says.

Frank nods. “Yes, daddy; anything,” he says eagerly.

Gerard removes his fingers from Frank’s tightness and pulls his shorts and underwear down, exposing his hard cock which Frank can’t take his eyes off of. He then straddles Frank’s body and scoots himself up until the head of his cock is right at Frank’s lips. Frank opens his mouth and Gerard puts his dick inside, beginning to fuck his mouth while Frank moans around him.

“Yeah, that’s it...get that dick nice and wet...that’s a good boy,” Gerard says as he continues to thrust his hips forward.

Frank is loving the feeling of having his mouth fucked by Gerard’s huge cock; he just wants to please him. He grips the hem of Gerard’s T-shirt and starts pushing it up, wanting to stare up at the man’s six-pack abs while he’s thrusting his cock down his throat. Gerard seems to realize what Frank wants; he pulls his shirt up and over his head, tossing it down somewhere on the mattress, and then Frank immediately begins palming the man’s firm torso, feeling every muscle contracting as Gerard repeatedly thrusts his hips forward. 

After a while of throat-fucking, Frank has saliva dripping from the corners of his mouth and he’s squirming beneath Gerard, eager to be fucked by him. Gerard pulls his saliva-coated cock out of Frank’s mouth and then scoots back and gets between the boy’s legs before pushing them all the way back against his chest. Frank is breathing hard from the anticipation and Gerard looks down at him and smiles. 

“Relax...” he says softly as he teasingly rubs the head of his saliva-slick cock against Frank’s waiting hole. 

Frank blushes and takes a deep breath. “I just want you so bad...” he admits, staring up at Gerard’s muscular body. 

Gerard smiles again and leans over to kiss Frank softly. “I can tell. Sorry I made you wait so long,” he whispers against Frank’s lips, now firmly pressing the head of his cock against the kid’s tightness.

Frank opens his mouth and moans against Gerard’s lips, feeling the head of his cock start to open him up. “It’s okay; it doesn’t matter now...” he says breathily. He feels the head of Gerard’s cock enter him suddenly and he whimpers a bit, feeling the bittersweet sting of being stretched out so widely.

Gerard groans pleasantly and kisses down Frank’s jaw, to his neck, as he holds still for a moment. “You okay?” he asks gently against the boy’s skin. “You feel so fucking tight...” he says before lifting himself up to his knees again.

“Yeah, I’m good,” says Frank, nodding, eager for Gerard to just start pounding him. “Just fucking give it to me...please, daddy...need it,” he begs, looking up at Gerard and getting even more turned on by staring at the large, strong and defined muscles in his shoulders and arms, just imagining them pinning him down while he’s being fucked hard into the mattress.

Gerard pinches his lower lip between his teeth and smirks a bit before dripping another glob of saliva down around Frank’s asshole. “You just wanna get fucked so badly, don’t you?” he says somewhat teasingly.

“Yes, daddy,” Frank says, nodding eagerly. He puts one of his fingers in his mouth and starts sucking on it, trying to look ultra slutty for Gerard; just wanting to act so dirty and naughty so that the man just might decide to punish him...

“Baby...oh my God...” Gerard says breathily, staring down at Frank. “Get yourself off while I fuck you; wanna watch you,” he says just before pushing his cock into Frank’s tightness until it’s completely buried inside him.

“Holy _fuck_ ,” Frank moans loudly when he feels Gerard suddenly fill him up and the head of the man’s cock brush against his sensitive prostate. He wraps a fist around his hard cock and starts jerking himself off just as Gerard had ordered him to.

“Is this what you wanted, baby?” asks Gerard teasingly, starting to develop a steady rhythm now as he deeply fucks into Frank’s tight hole. “Is this that dick you wanted?”

“Fuck yes, daddy...that dick feels amazing inside me,” Frank moans, looking up at Gerard and feeling fucking dazed from how good he feels right now. 

“Goddamn, you feel so fucking tight, baby...” Gerard groans, staring down at Frank, looking his small teenaged body up and down, watching him jerk his dick back and forth in his hand while his legs are spread open. “Are you my boy, Frankie?” he asks.

Frank can’t help but smile as he looks up at Gerard. “Yeah, daddy; I’m your boy,” he says.

Gerard smiles back and leans over to kiss Frank softly on the mouth. “God, I love you,” he says against his lips.

“I love you,” Frank says back. He’s surprised when Gerard pulls out of him right after he says it, now lying down on his back, and he gives the man a puzzled look.

“You get on top now,” Gerard says with a smirk before spitting into the palm of his hand and rubbing the saliva onto his cock.

Frank gets up onto his knees, climbs on top of Gerard so that he’s straddling the man’s hips and then reaches behind him, gripping the hard shaft of Gerard’s cock and guiding the head of it to his opening and pushing himself down on it as he groans from the pleasant sensation of being filled up again.

“That’s it, baby; all the way down...” Gerard coaxes gently, slowly rubbing his palms up and down the front of Frank’s thighs as he looks up at him.

“Fuck...” Frank groans pleasantly when he feels Gerard’s cock completely fill him up again. He places both of his palms flat against Gerard’s firm chest and starts riding his dick up and down, basically using it to fuck himself.

“Goddamn, baby...your hole feels fucking amazing,” Gerard moans beneath Frank, squeezing his eyes shut as if he’s trying to hold off his orgasm to make himself last longer. He tightly grips onto Frank’s hips and then starts thrusting his own hips upward, fucking into Frank hard and fast.

“Oh my fucking God...” Frank moans loudly, throwing his head back and closing his eyes, overwhelmed by the amount of pleasure he’s feeling as Gerard fucks into him deeply, hitting his prostate each time. He squeezes Gerard’s pecs as the older man thrusts up into him repeatedly, getting him so close to coming without even touching his cock. “I think...I think I’m gonna come...” says Frank breathily, looking down at Gerard who just nods quickly, seeming like he’s close, too.

A moment later Frank feels his body begin to shudder on top of Gerard’s as the man continues to fuck into him. “Gerard...daddy...I’m coming,” Frank moans, feeling his body go rigid as ropes of sticky, white cum spurt up onto his belly and some onto Gerard’s.

“Fuck yeah, baby...come for daddy...God, that’s so fucking hot...” Gerard groans beneath Frank, still tightly holding onto the boy’s hips as he stares up at him, mesmerized as he watches him climax.

Frank is breathing hard and he’s blushing as Gerard continues to fuck him; he’s a little embarrassed about coming so quickly and without even touching himself but he can’t help how hot he is for Gerard. 

It’s not long before Gerard is orgasming and Frank is acting like a little slut again, begging to be filled up with his daddy’s cum as he rides his dick, smirking when he glances down and notices that Gerard’s eyes are basically rolling back into his head as he comes. Once they’re both satisfied, Frank lifts himself off of Gerard’s cock and lies down next to him with his head on the man’s chest which is rising and falling rapidly as Gerard catches his breath. 

“Damn, boy,” says Gerard breathily, turning his head to look at Frank who just laughs lightly and palms Gerard’s chest affectionately. “That was so sexy how you came from just me pounding you,” he says as he softly kisses Frank’s lips.

Frank giggles and bashfully buries his face in the crook of Gerard’s neck for a moment before pulling back and looking up at the man. “I‘m actually kind of embarrassed about that...”

Gerard smiles warmly and gently brushes a lock of Frank’s hair out of his eyes. “Don’t be; I wish I could do that for you every time...it was so hot, watching you...” he says before kissing Frank again.

Frank sighs lightly into the kiss, enjoying Gerard’s taste, the way his tongue is exploring every corner of his mouth, the way one of his hands is gently tangling in his hair as they embrace... He never wants this night to end because he knows it might be another couple of weeks before he gets to spend time with Gerard again. It’s not long before he feels his eyes start to flutter closed with sleep and he’s woken by the sound of Gerard’s voice.

“I should get you home now; can’t keep you out all night, especially when you’re falling asleep,” says Gerard, softly stroking Frank’s cheek with the back of his hand.

Frank nods and then yawns sleepily. “Okay,” he says.

Frank and Gerard get dressed and then Gerard hops out of the back of the SUV and holds his hand out to help Frank hop down as well. Gerard then leads Frank around the car and opens the front passenger’s side door for him so that he can get in and buckle up while he returns to the back and folds up the blankets and puts the backseats back up. Gerard then gets into the driver’s seat and hands Frank the red rose and the small pink box with his other gifts inside it.

“Thank you,” says Frank, setting the box down in his lap.

Gerard starts the engine and begins to drive, keeping one hand on Frank’s knee, and the boy places his own hand on top of it. “Have you heard from Mikey lately?” he asks as he drives.

“Yeah, we talk pretty much every day,” says Frank. “I miss him a lot.” 

“I miss him, too,” says Gerard. “It’s too quiet in the house without him.”

“Yeah, I can imagine...” says Frank just before he yawns again.

“Yesterday I briefly talked to him on the phone and he mentioned coming home for a visit two weekends from now.”

Frank’s eyes light up. “Really? That‘d be so sick. Hopefully he’ll have time to hang out with me.”

“Of course he’ll have time for you, baby; you’re his best friend,” says Gerard, looking over at Frank and smiling. “He even mentioned how he can’t wait to see you.”

“Aww...” says Frank, smiling now. “He’s the best.”

“Yeah, he’s pretty cool,” says Gerard.

The ride back home seems shorter to Frank—he sighs when he looks out the window and sees that Gerard has just pulled up to his house. 

Frank takes off his seatbelt. “Will you let me know when I can see you again?” he asks.

“Yeah, you know I will,” says Gerard, smiling. “I love you so much, baby,” he says before leaning in and kissing Frank softly on the lips.

Frank melts from the warm kiss and instantly feels cold again when Gerard pulls away. “I love you, Gerard,” he says. “Thanks for meeting up with me tonight and for the sexy gifts and for setting up the back of the car so romantically and for just being so sweet to me all the time.”

Gerard smiles. “You’re welcome, Frankie. I’m so glad you liked everything,” he says. “I wish I could do more for you...like take you to nice places and all that.”

Frank blushes and smiles a bit, thinking about the fact that Gerard wants to take him out on dates—the idea of it makes him feel so soft. “Tonight was perfect; just being with you is...perfect,” he says endearingly.

Gerard just looks at Frank and seems to be lost for words before leaning in and kissing him again, more deeply this time, gently placing his warm palm against Frank’s cool cheek as their lips dance together like a dream. Frank has no idea how things will work out between them but right at this moment none of that even matters—all that matters right now is that this is the most contented and happy he’s ever felt with anyone.


	9. Chapter 9

Frank has felt more lonely than ever since the last time he’d hung out with Gerard two weeks ago. Being apart from the man he loves gets harder and harder after each time they get together, and he’s not sure how much more of this he can take before he just doesn’t care anymore and knocks on the Ways’ front door, risking Lindsey’s wrath just to see Gerard. 

Frank’s mom has noticed his moodiness and how he’s just been moping around the house lately, barely even eating. She says something to Frank about it every chance she gets, telling him he should make some new friends and try to stay busy so he doesn’t get so down like he’s been these past couple of weeks. Linda even went so far as to ask her son if he’s “lovesick” for someone, which Frank vehemently denied even though it’s most definitely true.

It’s six o’ clock on a cool Friday evening in mid-September and Frank is hanging out by himself at the local skate park, just rolling up and down the ramps on his board, not really working on any new tricks, just passing the time alone. Jamia had invited him to go with her to an all-ages punk show that her girlfriend is putting on at a club downtown at seven o’ clock tonight, but Frank had declined because he isn’t really in the mood to talk to people and be social right now; he just wants to chill by himself while being sad about missing Gerard. He’d smoked a bit of weed earlier but all it had done was make him feel even more melancholy. His mom is at work right now ‘til late so he’s going to be eating dinner alone tonight, too. Great. On the bright side, tomorrow morning Mikey will be coming home for a visit and will be staying at his parents’ place for the entire weekend. Frank is really looking forward to seeing his best friend again. 

Frank’s phone goes off in the pocket of his hoodie and he stops skating and stands at the deck of the ramp while he takes out his phone. His eyes light up and he immediately smiles when he sees that the message is from Gerard.

 **Gerard** : _hey, what are you up to?_

 **Frank** : _hey :) i’m just out skating. i really miss u...._

 **Gerard** : _i miss you too. can i see you? L just left to go pick up Mikey, so i have a couple hours_

 **Frank** : _of course u can see me. wanna meet at my house? my mom doesn’t get home til 11:30 tonight_

 **Gerard** : _yeah, sounds good. when should i meet you over there?_

 **Frank** : _i’ll be there in 10 mins_

 **Gerard** : _okay. see you soon_

Frank shoves his phone back into his pocket and smiles before dropping his board down onto the ground and skating off towards his house. When he gets there about ten minutes later, he sees Gerard sitting in his parked car at the side of the road and he feels his heart skip a beat from the excitement he feels at finally seeing him again. Gerard looks up and sees Frank approaching through the windshield of the car and he smiles before getting out and walking around the front of the vehicle until he’s standing next to Frank in the driveway, holding a cloth bag.

“Hey, Frankie,” Gerard says, still smiling as he gives Frank a quick kiss on the cheek.

“Hey, Gerard,” Frank says, grinning adorably as they walk up to the front door together. Frank unlocks the door and lets them into the house. “What’s in the bag?” he asks as he leans his skateboard up behind the door and kicks his shoes off.

“You said your mom’s working til late so I brought you some of what I cooked for dinner earlier,” says Gerard as he takes his shoes off.

“Oh my God, you brought me dinner? You’re the sweetest,” says Frank. “Thank you so much.”

“You’re welcome, sweetheart. I love taking care of you,” says Gerard, making Frank absolutely melt inside. “I just made a quick spaghetti bolognese and a salad. I hope you like it.”

“Oh, I’m sure I’ll love it—that sounds amazing,” says Frank. “Earlier I was actually thinking about having to eat dinner alone tonight and I was just hating life for a second,” he says with a little laugh as he leads the way into the kitchen where Gerard sets the bag down on the countertop and Frank empties his pockets of his phone, wallet and keys.

“I don’t blame you; eating alone is depressing as hell most times—at least it is to me,” Gerard says.

Frank sighs and shakes his head. “I honestly can’t get over how sweet and thoughtful you are, Gerard,” he says. “Tell me how I got so lucky...”

Gerard chuckles and wraps one of his strong arms around Frank’s slender waist, pulling him close against his large-framed, muscular body. “You make it so easy, baby...I love you so much,” he says, tilting his head down and tenderly kissing Frank’s forehead.

Frank sighs pleasantly and looks up at Gerard with dreamy eyes. “I love you, too,” he says, just before beginning to rub his palms over Gerard’s hard chest muscles. “Do you wanna... _do_ something?” he asks coyly, letting his voice trail off as he looks up at Gerard while alluringly biting his lower lip.

Gerard chuckles again, seeming amused by Frank’s question. “What’d you have in mind?” he asks, feigning cluelessness.

Frank giggles and blushes a bit, making Gerard chuckle again and affectionately kiss the top of the boy’s head. 

“Uh...honestly?” Frank begins. “I just wanna go up to my room with you and have you fuck me really rough on my bed...” he says, feeling a little embarrassed as he does.

“Holy fuck, Frankie...” Gerard says in a low voice, his hazel eyes suddenly smouldering with lust as he looks down at Frank. “How are you always able to get me rock-hard in like a second?” he asks, cupping Frank’s chin with one hand and grasping his cheeks between his thumb and fingers before kissing him hard on the mouth, practically taking the boy’s breath away with the force of it.

Frank is panting softly after Gerard pulls back, parting their lips. “So...is that a yes?” he asks, looking up at Gerard once again.

“I don’t think I’m capable of saying no to you,” Gerard admits with a smile. Then, without warning, he suddenly sweeps Frank off his feet, picking him up bridal-style in his arms before walking them out of the kitchen, towards the staircase. 

“Holy shit, Gerard!” Frank exclaims breathlessly, laughing as he puts his arms over Gerard’s shoulders, clinging to the man. “I can’t get over how strong you are...”

“Well, you’re so small; it’s really not that impressive,” says Gerard with a chuckle as he starts up the staircase.

Standing at only 5’5”, Frank is more than accustomed to being called “small,” but somehow when Gerard says it he feels kinda good about it. Maybe it’s the fact that he says it like a compliment rather than an insult or something to make fun of.

Gerard carries Frank all the way upstairs to his room and kicks the door shut with his foot before carefully lying Frank down on his back on the unmade bed and then lying down next to him. Frank immediately climbs on top of Gerard, straddling his legs, and then leans over and starts kissing him feverishly as he rubs himself against the man’s hard cock. Gerard wraps his arms around Frank’s small body and rubs his back up and down as they make out, eventually moving his hands down and slipping them past the waistband of Frank’s shorts so they’re rubbing against the boy’s bare skin, caressing and squeezing his little asscheeks as he grinds his hips down against him.

Frank suddenly pulls back and sits up on Gerard’s hips so that he can pull off his T-shirt, which he tosses onto the floor beside the bed. He then lifts the hem of Gerard’s shirt and starts pulling it up, too, prompting Gerard to lift his arms above his head so Frank can take it off.

“God, you are so fucking hot, Gerard...” Frank says breathily, lustfully staring down at Gerard’s muscular and hairy chest and abdomen and sensually feeling all over it with his hands. “I wanna come all over you while I’m riding your dick,” he says cheekily.

Gerard chuckles a bit and raises an eyebrow as he watches Frank’s mesmerized expression as his hands continue to feel up his firm chest. “Yeah? Well, you did that the last time we fucked. Think it’s my turn to come all over _you_ , don’t you think?” he says with a smirk before suddenly sitting up and quickly flipping them over so that he’s lying on top of Frank now with his body between the boy’s legs.

“I want you to come inside me though, daddy,” says Frank, smiling dazedly as Gerard gingerly kisses his ear and down the side of his face and neck, sending pleasant shivers up and down his spine. 

“Yeah?” says Gerard, speaking into the crook of Frank’s neck between kisses. 

“Yeah,” says Frank breathily as Gerard rolls off of him and starts tugging down the boy’s shorts and boxers. Frank lifts his ass so Gerard can pull them down to his knees and then he kicks them off the rest of the way, down onto the floor.

Gerard hungrily stares at Frank’s exposed body and he glides his hand down his hairless chest, grips his tiny waist, strokes his hard cock a few times. Frank is loving all of the attention but he wants Gerard’s clothes off, too, so he reaches for the waistband of the man’s shorts and tugs on it. Gerard takes the hint and stops touching Frank for a moment so he can pull down his shorts and underwear and toss them onto the floor with the rest of their clothes before leaning up on one elbow and wrapping a hand firmly around Frank’s cock again as he looks his small body up and down. 

“How come you haven’t sucked my dick yet?” asks Frank casually as he lies there enjoying the feel of Gerard’s hand stroking him, getting him even harder. 

Gerard’s cheeks flush and he releases his grip around Frank’s cock. “I’ve never actually done that before,” he admits. “I guess I’m just kinda scared I’ll be terrible at it.”

“You really haven’t?”

“No. Did you think I’d fucked a bunch of guys and sucked a bunch of dicks before I decided to marry a woman?”

“Well...yeah, honestly, I kinda did,” says Frank. 

Gerard laughs and lies down on his back next to Frank, looking up at the ceiling. “No, that’s not the case,” he says.

“Well, it’s not like I would even know the difference if you were terrible at it...” 

Gerard raises an eyebrow and turns his head to look at Frank. “You’ve never been sucked off before?”

Frank shakes his head. “I was miserably in the closet all throughout high school—well, I still am, only a little less miserable—and I didn’t wanna date girls just to get experience...it didn’t feel right.”

“Why haven’t you come out yet? Is that okay to ask?”

“Yeah, it’s okay,” Frank assures him, thinking it’s cute that Gerard is being so careful with his words. He vaguely remembers snapping at the man the last time he’d asked him this question while they were hiking and he feels bad about being so short with him then. “I guess I’m just scared, honestly. Like...my dad is super homophobic and growing up my biggest fear was him finding out I was gay so I basically pretended I wasn’t. After my parents got divorced last year and my dad moved out, I finally came out to my mom and she was totally cool with it and accepting of me. I know not everyone is like her though, which is why no one else knows—except for you and Jamia.”

“Damn... I’m really sorry to hear that you felt you had to hide who you are from your dad. I can imagine that must have made you feel like his love was conditional,” says Gerard empathetically.

“Yeah, it definitely did make me feel like that. And it still does,” says Frank, feeling emotional now and trying not to fucking cry. “I haven’t seen or spoken to him in over a year now—since he left.”

“I’m sorry, Frankie,” says Gerard sincerely, placing a soft kiss on Frank’s cheek. He looks like he feels genuinely hurt for Frank and it makes the boy feel a bit sad, but at the same time comforted to know that someone actually cares.

“Thanks, Gerard. It’s okay,” says Frank with a small smile.

“So...did you say you came out to Jamia? Didn’t you two basically just meet?”

“Yeah, we did kinda just meet. But when she told me she’s dating a girl I just felt comfortable telling her.”

“Oh, okay, that makes sense,” says Gerard. “You know...Mikey’s not homophobic.”

“I know. That’s not the reason I haven’t come out to him. I just don’t want things to be...different.”

Gerard nods understandingly. “Okay,” he says. “It’s okay that you wanna take your time. I just think that the more you feel that acceptance from people, the more confidence you’ll have to be totally out.”

“I know,” says Frank with a sigh, feeling a little overwhelmed just thinking about it. “So...what about you? Are you bi?” he asks, trying to change the subject.

Gerard sighs and smiles a bit. “I’m not sure, to be honest. I‘ve always thought I was straight. I’ve occasionally checked out other guys and I get turned on by gay porn, but I just assumed that those were things all straight guys experience but never talk about.”

Frank smiles. “You think all straight guys think gay porn is hot?” he says. “You’re totally in denial.”

Gerard chuckles. “Yeah, you’re probably right about that,” he says.

“It’s okay though. I think a lot of people who aren’t straight go through a denial phase. I definitely did,” says Frank. 

“At the end of the day, I don’t think labels really matter anyway,” says Gerard thoughtfully. “I just know that I’m in love with you, and that’s enough for me.”

Frank smiles, feeling himself melt yet again from Gerard’s sweet words. “I love you so much,” he says before leaning in and kissing Gerard softly. 

Gerard has a little smirk on his face when their lips part. “Weren’t you about to get your dick sucked for the first time?” he asks.

Frank laughs lightly, feeling his dick twitch with arousal from just the thought of Gerard’s mouth pleasuring him. “Weren’t you about to suck dick for the first time?” he returns.

Gerard laughs a bit and then kisses Frank again, smiling when the boy places a hand on his cheek, feeling his prickly stubble. “Spread your legs for me, baby boy,” Gerard says softly against Frank’s lips before pulling back.

Frank eagerly does as Gerard says and lies on his back with his legs open and his knees tucked in close against his chest while Gerard scoots his body lower down on the bed until his face is right above Frank’s dick. Gerard starts placing soft, open-mouth kisses along Frank’s lower abdomen and Frank’s heart is pounding from the anticipation.

“Damn, your dick is leaking _so_ much pre-cum, Frankie...” Gerard says, looking up at Frank for a second before wrapping his large hand around the boy’s cock. “It’s so fucking sexy...” he says, just before flicking his tongue across the tip of Frank’s cock, tasting his clear, sticky fluids.

Frank’s body jolts from the electric pleasure he feels from Gerard’s warm, moist tongue on his sensitive cockhead and his breathing rate picks up instantly. “Daddy...” he says breathily, looking down at Gerard between his legs.

“Yeah, baby?” Gerard says teasingly, smirking as he looks up at Frank from between his legs. “Tell me what you want,” he says before flicking his tongue across Frank’s cockhead once again, making the boy moan. 

“Want you to suck my dick, daddy,” says Frank needily.

“Manners, Frankie,” says Gerard, taking the entire head into his mouth and teasingly sucking it for just a second before pulling off.

Frank moans and arches his back against the mattress, feeling so needy for Gerard to just take his entire cock into his mouth and suck him off until he comes. “ _Please_ , daddy...please suck my dick,” he begs, holding intense eye contact with Gerard.

“That’s my good boy...” Gerard says just before taking Frank’s entire cock into his mouth and beginning to suck it as he bobs his head up and down. Frank’s cock isn’t nearly as big as Gerard’s which makes it easy for the man to deepthroat it repeatedly.

“Oh my fucking God, Gerard...” Frank moans loudly, tightly gripping the bedsheets beneath him as Gerard sucks him off. He can’t believe how fucking good this feels; how warm and wet Gerard’s mouth is; how close he feels to coming already... He starts bucking his hips up, trying to fuck Gerard’s mouth, and Gerard immediately pulls off and looks up at Frank scoldingly. 

“You think you’re allowed to fuck my mouth, boy?” Gerard says with a slight smirk on his face. 

“No...I’m sorry, daddy—your mouth just feels so fucking good on my dick...I didn’t mean to be naughty,” says Frank, half-moaning though he’s not even being touched right now. 

“Damn...” Gerard says, laughing a bit as he looks Frank up and down. “How are you so fucking sexy, baby?” he says rhetorically just before pushing Frank’s legs back further and beginning to lick his asshole.

“Oh _fuck_ , daddy...” Frank moans when he feels Gerard’s warm, wet tongue pleasuring his tight, sensitive hole. 

“Like that, baby boy?” asks Gerard before sucking two fingers into his mouth and pressing them both against Frank’s tight opening.

“Yes, daddy; I fucking love it,” says Frank breathily, trying to relax his muscles as Gerard presses his two fingers into him. He gasps when they finally enter him, stretching him out with a slight sting which quickly turns into pleasure as the man starts moving them back and forth, in and out of his tightness. “Oh my God...” Frank moans, letting his eyes flutter closed when he feels Gerard’s fingers brush against his prostate as he curls them inside him.

“That feel good or something?” Gerard asks with a cheeky smirk, looking up at Frank, watching his sexy, pleasure-filled facial expressions.

Frank smiles a little half-smile and opens his eyes again. “Fuck yeah, daddy...so good,” he says breathily, nodding.

With his fingers still inside of Frank, Gerard takes the boy’s cock into his mouth again and starts sucking him off, deep-throating him each time he goes down, making Frank absolutely lose it, moaning uncontrollably and arching his back. Frank has never felt such intense pleasure before now as he’s being fingered and sucked off at the same time. His body starts shaking from how good he feels and he’s sure he’s going to come soon although he wishes this feeling could last forever.

“Holy _fuck_...I’m so close, daddy...feels so fucking good...I’m gonna come...” Frank says disjointedly between loud moans. He’s gripping the blankets so hard that his hands are starting to hurt but he doesn’t care.

Gerard suddenly starts fingering Frank the deepest he has yet, making Frank moan even louder from how good it feels and sending him over the edge. Frank’s body goes rigid and then jolts with pleasure as he comes hard, spilling his cum right into Gerard’s warm, waiting mouth which is still sucking his dick.

“Holy shit...” Frank moans, his body still twitching occasionally as Gerard sucks him dry and then lets his dick fall from his mouth as he pulls his fingers out of him.

Gerard then moves his body up so that he’s lying right on top of Frank, between his legs, and then he kisses the boy, making him taste himself on his tongue. “You’re so fucking sexy, baby,” he whispers against Frank’s lips.

Frank can hardly even form words right now; he’s in such a daze from how hard he came and how good Gerard had made him feel. Gerard starts kissing his neck and rubbing his hard cock against him and then Frank remembers that the man hasn’t gotten off yet. “Want you to fuck me, daddy,” Frank says dreamily, looking up at Gerard with a dazed expression on his face. 

Gerard doesn’t hesitate for a second before sitting back on his knees and spitting into the palm of his hand before rubbing the saliva onto his dick and onto Frank’s now slightly stretched-out hole. He pulls Frank by his thighs so that he’s closer to him and then looks down at him as he pushes his cock into his tight hole.

“Holy fuck, baby...” Gerard groans pleasantly as he lowers his body down on top of Frank’s, sinking his cock deep inside him until he’s all the way in. “You feel _so_ damn good...” he says, kissing Frank as he starts fucking into him hard.

Frank is on another level of pleasure right now; he’s still coming down from his intense orgasm and now Gerard’s cock is pounding his prostate, making him moan from the intensity of it and feel like he might even come again. He wraps his legs around Gerard’s body and wraps his arms around his shoulders, holding the man close as he relentlessly pounds his ass hard and fast and feverishly kisses his neck at the same time.

“I’m gonna fucking come,” Gerard pants suddenly into Frank’s ear. He slows down his pace a bit and then Frank feels the man’s body begin to shudder on top of him and feels the warmth of his cum filling him up as he orgasms.

“Oh, Frankie...” Gerard says contentedly into the crook of Frank’s neck, breathing hard as he lays his body down on top of Frank’s smaller one with his cock still buried deep inside of him. 

Frank sighs contentedly; he loves feeling the weight of the man’s hard, muscular body lying on top of him, making it so that he can hardly move beneath him. “That was fucking amazing, Gerard,” he says, affectionately stroking Gerard’s hair as his legs are still wrapped around him. 

Gerard is about to reply, but he doesn’t have a chance to express his agreement with Frank because suddenly they both hear a knock on Frank’s bedroom door and then Linda’s voice saying, “Frankie?” 

With a jolt, Gerard lifts his head up out of the crook of Frank’s neck and the two lovers share a horrified look, lying still and quiet and hoping that Linda will just walk away. However, shortly after not hearing a response, Linda knocks again, this time saying, “Frankie? Are you home?”

Frank’s heart is racing with anxiety in his chest and he looks worriedly up at Gerard. Then, a moment later, everything seems to turn to shit in slow-motion. Just as Frank is about to call out to his mom and tell her that he was napping and will be out in a second, his bedroom door swings open and from over Gerard’s shoulder he can see his mom standing in the doorway with this absolutely furious expression on her face. 

“Hey! Get the fuck off of my son!” Linda yells as she storms into the room and stands right at the foot of the bed.

“Mom?!” Frank exclaims, absolutely mortified as he pushes Gerard off of him, causing the man to pull his dick out of him at the same time. Frank then forcefully draws the blankets up over their naked bodies and sits up in bed. “Get out!” he yells at his mom, his heart racing uncomfortably with adrenaline.

Linda’s furious expression changes to pure hatred when her eyes settle upon Gerard, who’s now sitting up in bed next to Frank. “You,” Linda says coldly, pointing her finger at the man as she stares him down. “You‘re a fucking disgusting excuse for a human being.”

“Mom!” Frank yells, both extremely embarrassed at being caught having sex by his mom and angry at her for the way she’s speaking to Gerard. “He didn’t do anything wrong!”

“Frankie, let me handle this,” Linda snaps. She then addresses Gerard again, coldly. “Stay the hell away from my son, you goddamn predator. You should be fucking ashamed of yourself.”

“ _Mom_! Would you fucking stop?” Frank yells, seeing that Gerard is making no attempt at defending himself against his mother’s cruel words. “He’s not a predator or anything; he’s not like that. _I’m_ the one who came onto _him_.”

“I don’t give a flying fuck who came onto who! He’s a grown-ass adult who should know better than to get with a kid who’s barely even eighteen-years-old!” Linda yells. She glares at Gerard again. “Not to mention the fact that you’re cheating on your wife, and that your son is Frankie’s best friend. Do you realize how messed up that is?” 

“Listen,” Gerard begins, rubbing a hand over his face before he looks over at Linda. “I’m totally down to get screamed at and insulted by you some more about my relationship with your son—which you neither understand nor know anything about—but can you at least give us a minute of privacy to get dressed first?”

Linda laughs dryly and folds her arms across her chest. “So, you’re uncomfortable, huh? You wanna know what uncomfortable is? It’s walking into your teenaged son’s bedroom and finding him in bed with his best friend’s dad’s dick up his ass. _That’s_ fucking uncomfortable. But, go ahead, get dressed. I’ll meet you both downstairs,” says Linda. She then leaves the room and slams the door behind her, leaving Gerard and her son alone to get dressed. 

Frank is literally shaking with anxiety as he sits there naked underneath the blankets in bed next to Gerard. As much as he wants to not have to hide his relationship with Gerard, this is definitely not how he’d envisioned going public with him. He’s so frustrated that his mom is viewing Gerard as some kind of villain who’s taking advantage of him when that’s totally not the case. He just hopes he can get through to her and help her to see that despite the age difference between them, he and Gerard have a healthy and loving relationship.

“Frankie, everything’s gonna be okay...” Gerard says softly, probably noticing the look of worry on the kid’s face.

Frank shakes his head, nervously twisting a corner of the blanket around his fingers. “That was just _so_ fucking embarrassing...” he says, thinking about the horror of having his mom walk in on them having sex. “And I hate that she thinks you’re a bad person.”

“She’s just shocked and upset right now; she might come around once she hears more from you. I doubt she’s gonna listen to anything _I_ have to say though—at least not right now.”

Frank sighs deeply and puts his face in his hands. “I had no idea she was coming home early today. She probably called me to let me know, but I left my phone downstairs...fuck,” he says frustratedly, shaking his head.

“Hey, this isn’t your fault—it’s no one’s fault. Sometimes shit like this just happens. We’ll get through it together,” says Gerard, rubbing Frank’s back comfortingly. “Let’s get dressed now, okay?” he says gently.

Frank lets out a shaky breath and nods before they both get out of bed and find their clothes before getting dressed. When they’re ready, Gerard wraps Frank up in a big hug and kisses him, making him feel a bit more relaxed before they make their way downstairs to the kitchen where Linda is pacing back and forth. When Linda looks up and sees them walk into the room, she stops pacing and then tells them to have a seat at the dining table so that they can talk. Frank and Gerard sit down on the same side of the table and Linda sits down right across from them.

“So, how long has this bullshit been going on?” asks Linda, sounding tired as she looks at both of them.

“It’s not “bullshit,” mom,” Frank snaps, feeling annoyed by this conversation already. “And it started in the summer; like right after I graduated. I’d had a crush on Gerard for like an entire year before that though.”

“How did it start?”

“I just started flirting with him and it went from there,” says Frank vaguely with a little shrug.

“Flirting? Like how?”

“I dunno...like, I’d always stare at him while he was sunbathing by the pool and one night I told him I thought he was sexy and I said and did some other suggestive stuff...”

Linda shakes her head, looking disappointed in her son. “How long have you two been having sex?”

Frank’s cheeks flush. “Mom...” he says uncomfortably, feeling embarrassed.

“ _Well_?” Linda says, insistent on getting an answer from her son. 

“Today was only the third time we’ve done it...” Frank says awkwardly.

“You’ve only been in bed together three times since this “relationship” started?”

“Well...we’ve done other stuff in bed besides actual sex a few times, too,” Frank admits, now feeling like he could just die from the high level of embarrassment he feels.

“Are you using condoms?”

Frank feels his face burn even hotter now. “Uh...no,” he admits quietly, feeling uneasy.

Linda’s eyes go wide. “What?!” she exclaims, looking horrified. She looks at Gerard now. “You should be fucking ashamed of yourself for not using any protection with my son. What’s your HIV status and how many people are you currently sleeping with?” 

“I’m clean. And I’m currently just sleeping with Frankie,” Gerard replies.

Linda looks like she’s about to be sick when she hears Gerard say that last sentence. “You don’t have sex with your wife?” she asks, raising an eyebrow.

“Not really, no. Maybe a few times in the past year, but definitely not since I’ve been with Frankie,” Gerard admits.

It kind of makes Frank happy to hear that Gerard hasn’t been sleeping with Lindsey lately, though he wishes he didn’t even have to hear those words.

“Have you had sex with other males besides my son?”

“No. Never,” says Gerard.

Linda looks at Frank now. “You need to get tested for STIs,” she says. “We’ll go to the clinic first thing tomorrow morning.” 

“No, we won’t,” says Frank defiantly.

Linda pauses and looks at Frank incredulously. “You’ve been having unprotected sex with a middle-aged married man—of course you’re getting fucking tested. Don’t argue with me,” Linda says.

Frank rolls his eyes, having no intentions of going to any sexual health clinic with his mom tomorrow morning.

Linda looks at Gerard now. “I’m calling Lindsey and I’m going to tell her everything. Right now,” she says as she takes out her phone. “She deserves to hear the objective truth.”

“Mom, _no_!” Frank yells, abruptly standing up from his chair and scooting it back loudly along the hardwood floor. Frank is terrified of Lindsey finding out about everything because once she does, then Mikey will inevitably find out, too, and Frank doesn’t think he can deal with potentially losing his best friend. Frank suddenly feels one of Gerard’s hands hold onto one of his.

“Frankie...there’s nothing you can do, okay?” says Gerard gently as Linda looks on at them with a disapproving scowl as she holds the phone up to her ear.

Frank feels tears begin to sting his eyes and then his legs get weak and he crumples down into Gerard’s lap, feeling helpless and powerless to stop the mess that’s unfolding right before his eyes. 

“Lindsey? Hi, it’s Linda—yeah, Frankie’s mom...” Linda says into the phone. “I could be much, much better, to be quite honest. Are you driving? You might want to pull over for this...”

Frank begins to sob into Gerard’s shirt as he hears his mom expose his and Gerard’s relationship to Lindsey, telling her how she found them in bed together having sex, and about how long it’s been going on for—basically telling Lindsey everything that Frank had just told her. Frank can’t understand why Gerard isn’t even attempting to stop his mom from exposing their relationship to Lindsey and it frustrates him so much that the man has been acting so passively this entire time.

When Linda hangs up the phone, Frank is livid. “Why are you doing this to me?” he sobs at her as Gerard holds him in his lap.

“When you’re older you’ll understand that I’m just protecting you; I’m just trying to be a good mom to you, Frankie. This isn’t normal,” she says, gesturing to her son as he embraces a man who’s more than twice his age.

“Mom, Gerard and I are in love. And you can’t stop me from seeing him, from sleeping with him. I’m eighteen now and it’s not up to you,” he says, wiping fallen tears from his face.

“I know you’re an adult and free to date whomever you want. But I’m your mom and you have to hear me out—whether you want to or not,” says Linda, sounding somewhat calmer than she has been.

“Whatever,” says Frank shaking his head dismissively.

Linda looks at Gerard now. “I need you to get out of my house right now before I’m fucking sick,” she says, getting up from the table and looking at him expectantly.

Gerard sighs and begins to stand, gently pushing Frank off of his lap as he does.

“I’m coming with you,” says Frank determinedly as he looks up at Gerard.

Gerard smiles sadly. “No, baby; you can’t...” he says. 

“Gerard, _please_...” Frank begs, his eyes stinging with tears again. He feels like he’ll break if he’s left alone right now.

“I have to go home and talk to Lindsey—you know that,” he says gently, stroking Frank’s hair. “Come on...” he says, taking Frank’s hand and leading him out of the kitchen and to the front door, away from Linda’s scrutinizing stare.

“She’s not even home yet—it sounded like she was still driving from what my mom said on the phone,” Frank says once they’re in the foyer, trying to bargain for some more time with Gerard.

Gerard smiles. “You really think your mom’s gonna be cool with you leaving the house with me after all of that?” he says as he slips his feet into his shoes.

“No, but I don’t care,” says Frank, slipping his shoes on, too.

“Baby...” Gerard says with a sigh. “Be a good boy and listen to me, okay? I promise I’ll call you later tonight.”

Frank’s heart sinks and he feels like crying again. “Gerard...why does it feel like I’m gonna lose you?”

“You’re not; you’re just scared. I’m not going anywhere, Frankie.”

“Promise?” asks Frank, looking up at Gerard with bright, hopeful eyes.

“Yes. I promise,” says Gerard before leaning over and kissing Frank on the forehead. “I gotta go now, okay? I don’t wanna piss off your mom any more than I have already—she hates me.”

“I love you, Gerard,” says Frank, tightly wrapping his arms around Gerard’s waist and holding him close with the side of his face pressed against the man’s firm chest.

“I love you, too, Frankie,” says Gerard, putting his strong arms around the boy and enveloping him in a warm embrace.

Frank reluctantly pulls away after a while, knowing that as much as he wants to he can’t keep Gerard here all night. Gerard then opens the front door and heads out to walk down the driveway to his car. Frank watches him get in and start the engine and they blow each other a kiss as he drives away. The feeling of breaking comes almost immediately after Gerard leaves. Frank just feels so anxious knowing that Lindsey knows everything now and that Mikey is sure to find out soon. He feels so alone and like no one understands how good he and Gerard are together.

“You’re way too attached to him,” Linda’s voice sounds, startling Frank from his thoughts. He turns around to look at his mom. “It’s really not healthy how he’s got you wrapped around his finger,” she says.

“Why the hell did you have to go and tell Lindsey? Don’t you think he could have done that himself?”

“He could have, but I don’t trust that he would have told her all the details like I did,” says Linda. “She deserves to know exactly what her husband has been up to behind her back. I know I’d want to know if I were her.”

“That is such bullshit,” says Frank. “You wanted me to tell you everything, asking me all those questions so that you could rat out Gerard to Lindsey and try to break us up because you don’t like the idea of me being with an older man.”

“Frankie, something's usually wrong when a forty-year-old is dating a teenager—something's usually wrong with the forty-year-old. There are exceptions, of course, and maybe Gerard is exceptional—maybe he's not an asshole who pursues naive, young boys because men his own age can see through his shit—but the simple fact of his age requires that he be subjected to a higher degree of scrutiny than a first boyfriend who was closer to your age.”

“Gerard’s not like that. He loves me,” Frank says fiercely.

Linda pauses for a moment before speaking. “I know you think you’re in love with that man, but I really think you need to stop seeing him,” she says firmly.

“What? No. No fucking way. I _know_ I’m in love with him. It doesn’t matter what you say anyway; I’m eighteen and I can date whoever I want to.”

“I realize that gay guys your age sometimes date older men because there aren't a lot of boys your own age to choose from, but that doesn’t mean you have to rush into a relationship with a fricken forty-year-old, Frankie. You’re _so_ young; you have so much time to find someone who’s a more suitable age for you, honey. Besides, the man is cheating on his wife—what makes you think that he’s not gonna cheat on you the same way one day?”

“God, I am so tired of listening to your cynical bullshit, Mom,” says Frank. “I need to get out of here. I’m going out,” he says, heading into the kitchen momentarily to grab his keys, phone and wallet from off the counter and shoving them into the pockets of his shorts. 

“Where are you going?” asks Linda.

“I dunno,” says Frank moodily as he heads back to the front door. “Somewhere where I’m not thought of as some idiot kid who doesn’t know what he’s doing.”

“Frankie...you know I didn’t mean to upset you. I just want you to be safe.”

“Yeah, well, you did upset me, Mom,” says Frank, feeling hurt. “You don’t know the first thing about Gerard. I don’t need to be “protected” from him like you seem to think I do.”

Linda sighs. “I’m sorry, sweetie,” she says as Frank opens the front door. “When will you be home?”

“Not sure,” says Frank. “Late. I’m gonna meet up with a friend downtown,” he says, planning to meet Jamia at that show she’d invited him to.

“Okay. Well, be safe, okay?” Linda says, sounding a bit worried. “I love you, honey.”

Frank just nods before heading out the door into the cool evening air. He shoves his hands down into his pockets as he walks, worrying about Gerard having to deal with Lindsey’s anger when she gets home with Mikey. 

Shit.

Frank suddenly remembers that Mikey will most likely be made aware of his and Gerard’s relationship tonight and he’s absolutely terrified about it. He can’t even imagine how upset his best friend is going to be when he finds out he’s been sleeping with his dad behind his back for over two months. He doesn’t want to think about it.

Frank takes out his phone and sighs when he sees six notifications for missed calls from his mom from earlier when he was in his bedroom with Gerard. He notices that it’s already ten to seven and he sends Jamia a text message:

 **Frank** : _hey, i’m coming to the show but i just left my house so i’ll be late_

 **Jamia** : _YESSSS boy. i’m glad u changed ur mind. see u soon homie_

Frank is really looking forward to seeing Jamia. He just can’t stomach being alone right now with this anxious pit in his stomach and Jamia’s presence always seems to chill him out. He feels like he just needs to be distracted so that he can forget about the fact that his best friend is going to hate him and that Gerard is going to be confronted by his angry, bitch wife tonight because of him. Practically every relationship that’s important to Frank is hitting the fucking fan right now and he’s _so_ not ready to deal with the fallout...


	10. Chapter 10

Frank thanks the driver as he steps off of the bus and then walks down the street towards the bar where this punk show is. He sees several people with bright hair colours who are dressed mostly in band T-shirts and ripped black jeans hanging around outside the entrance to the venue chatting and smoking cigarettes. Most of them look to be in their early twenties; Frank is sure he doesn’t see anyone who looks like they’re his age even though this is an “all-ages” show according to Jamia. The muted sound of loud punk music radiating from the venue gets louder as Frank gets closer to the entrance. He takes out his phone and sends Jamia a text message.

 **Frank** : _hey i’m outside, just got here_

Jamia replies almost immediately.

 **Jamia** : _one sec i’ll be right out._

It’s just after seven-thirty in the evening now and it’s starting to get dark outside as the sun sets. Frank can’t help but to think about Gerard as he’s waiting for Jamia to come outside and meet him. He feels an unpleasant wave of anxiety wash over him when he recalls what Gerard will be faced with when he gets home. He’s still so fucking angry at his mom for not giving Gerard the chance to come clean to his family the way he wanted to. It doesn’t seem fair to Frank and the anxiety he feels about it is consuming him. 

Frank keeps checking his phone, hoping to see a text message from Gerard or something to let him know that he’s okay. The man has been so stoic despite all of this and Frank thinks there’s no way he doesn’t have strong feelings inside that he’s choosing not to share. Frank can’t help the sinking feeling he has that he’s somehow going to lose Gerard because of all of this and that it’s going to be all his fault...

“Frankie!” Jamia exclaims, startling Frank out of his thoughts as she runs out of the venue and towards him. She’s wearing a black denim jacket over a light-pink tank top with a black mini skirt, fishnet stockings and black combat boots. The purple streaks in her shoulder length jet-black hair and straight bangs seem like they’re shining underneath the setting sun. Frank tries to smile a bit as his friend approaches; he’s glad to see a familiar face. But, he’s still really upset about what had happened earlier which is making it hard for him to fake a smile right now.

When Jamia gets close enough she pulls Frank into a tight hug which he can’t even return since she’s literally restraining his arms as she embraces him. After she finally lets go she firmly puts both of her hands on Frank’s shoulders and looks him right in the eyes. “So, what’s with the sad face? Whose ass do I have to kick?” she asks with a playful smirk as she reads Frank’s gloomy facial expression. 

Frank can’t help but to smile a bit at the fact that this girl is claiming she’d kick someone’s ass for him and it makes him feel a little better. Jamia smiles, too, and then lets her hands fall from Frank’s shoulders, now looking at him expectantly as she waits for a response. 

“Uh...something really shitty happened earlier,” says Frank, looking down at his sneakers for a moment. 

“Dude, what is it?” Jamia asks, her voice sounding softer and more serious and concerned now. “Are you okay?”

Frank doesn’t know where to begin and he feels his eyes begin to well up with tears from just thinking about everything. He definitely doesn’t want to start bawling his eyes out right in front of this bar, so he just shakes his head. “I’ll tell you after we get inside,” he says. “I‘m gonna need you to sneak me a couple of drinks if you can. It’s kinda heavy stuff that I just don’t want to think about all night.”

“Okay, no sweat,” says Jamia with a little shrug, still looking worried and curious. 

“So, how much are tickets again?” asks Frank, remembering that their goal is to get into this bar.

“Oh, I got your ticket already. It’s all good,” says Jamia with a wave of her hand. “My girlfriend is putting on this show. It’s a charity event, so all the money made through ticket sales goes to food banks and shelters. There’ll be five local punk and alternative bands performing.”

“Oh, wow. That is such a great and thoughtful idea,” says Frank.

“Yeah, Chelsea’s special like that; she’s always looking for ways to give back and to help people out,” says Jamia with a little twinkle in her eye, smiling warmly as she speaks fondly about her girlfriend. 

“Aww. She does sound really special,” says Frank as they head to the front entrance of the bar.

The person at the door asks to see Frank’s ID so he shows it to them and then they give him a red stamp on his inner wrist that says “U21.” Jamia shows the black stamp on her inner wrist for re-entry. She then leads Frank past the coat-check and through the loud, bustling bar until she stops at a round bar-table where a girl with dark-caramel-coloured skin and long, black micro-braids in her hair is sitting while she’s on her phone. The girl has a nose ring, she’s wearing jeans and a cropped band T-shirt and she’s now looking up at Jamia with a warm smile. 

“Frankie, this is Chelsea; my girlfriend. And Chelsea, this is my friend/co-worker Frankie who I told you about,” Jamia introduces the two acquaintances as she and Frank sit down.

Chelsea holds out her hand across the table and leans forward as she smiles warmly. “It’s nice to meet you; I’ve heard a lot about you,” she says loudly to be heard above the loud punk music as Frank takes her hand and shakes it.

“It’s nice to meet you, too” says Frank loudly. “Is this your first time putting on an event like this?” he asks.

“No, I’ve organized a few community charity events before this one. I really enjoy it,” Chelsea says.

“That’s awesome. It seems like such a great turnout, too,” says Frank, looking around the packed bar as Chelsea nods in agreement.

“What do you want to drink, Frankie?” asks Jamia.

“Uh...a vodka cranberry, please?” says Frank, because it reminds him of Gerard and he really hasn’t had any other cocktails so he’s not sure what else is even available.

“I can go grab drinks for you guys—did you want another beer, babygirl?” Chelsea says, looking over at Jamia as she gets up from her seat.

“Yeah, thanks, Chels,” Jamia says with a smile as Chelsea walks away towards the bar.

“Oh my God, you two are _so_ cute together, J. She seems really nice and she’s frickin gorgeous, too,” says Frank once Chelsea is out of earshot.

Jamia smiles. “Yeah, she’s pretty amazing,” she says dreamily, watching Chelsea standing in line at the bar for a moment. “So...are you ready to talk about what happened yet?” she asks carefully after she turns back to look at Frank.

“Uh...yeah, I guess so,” says Frank before taking a deep breath and looking down at the table for a second. “Earlier I told Gerard that he could come over to my house for a couple hours since my mom was supposed to be working until 11:30 p.m. So, anyway, he came over, but my mom came home early and caught us having sex in my room...”

Frank looks up and sees the shocked expression on Jamia’s face.

“Oh my God, dude....no...that fucking sucks!” Jamia says emphatically as she cringes. “What happened after she caught you guys?” she asks, leaning in interestedly.

“Well, first of all, it was fucking embarrassing. She came into my room and literally screamed at Gerard to get the fuck off of me. And—sorry if this is TMI—he hadn’t even pulled out yet, so that was fucking awkward as hell as you can imagine... Anyway, he got off of me, I pulled the blankets over us and then I basically screamed at my mom to get out of my room. As soon as she realized that it was Gerard in bed with me she fucking _freaked_ , ‘cause, like, they know each other since I’ve been best friends with his son, Mikey, for like five years. She called him a predator and told him that he’s disgusting and that he should be ashamed of himself. She said some other really rude and nasty things to him, too, but you get the idea. 

“Gerard asked her to give us some privacy so we could get dressed, so then she left us alone. Afterwards we went downstairs and sat at the kitchen table where she made me tell her pretty much everything about our relationship. She asked me how long it’s been going on, when it started, how long we’ve been having sex, if we’re using protection... _everything_. And then—get this—right afterwards, she fucking called Gerard’s wife and told her everything I’d just told her! Right in front of us, too! I was so fucking choked, Jamia, you don’t even know... If I had known that she was gonna use what I’d just told her to rat out Gerard, then I would have never said shit. ‘Cause now Mikey’s gonna find out, obviously—like, I can’t see his parents being able to keep something like this from him especially when he’s gonna be right in the middle of it since his mom is literally on her way home with him right now as he’s visiting from college for the weekend. So, now my best friend is gonna hate me and there’s absolutely nothing I can fucking do about it.

“I don’t know what’s going on with Gerard, but, like...the entire time my mom was yelling at him and saying all this rude stuff to him that isn’t even true, he just sat there and fucking took it! And he didn’t even try to stop her from calling his wife! It made me so fucking frustrated that he just let it happen without even putting up a fight. It seemed like he didn’t even care.

“God, I just feel so anxious about everything and so emotionally drained. I’m dreading talking to Mikey—if he even _wants_ to talk to me, that is... And, I feel so bad that Gerard had no choice about the fact that he has to confront his wife about everything tonight. He could have just told her in his own time and I’m so fucking pissed at my mom for taking that away from him. I’m pissed at myself, too, for causing this whole mess. I just feel so guilty and upset and I don’t wanna think about anything anymore...”

“Frankie...holy shit,” says Jamia. “You were right when you said this was heavy stuff...” 

“Yeah, I wasn’t fucking kidding...” says Frank glumly.

“God, I’m so sorry that happened to you, hun... That was such a dick-move on your mom’s part to call Gerard’s wife and tell her everything. And, I know you said it seemed like Gerard didn’t care because he wasn’t standing up to your mom when she was yelling at him, but have you considered that maybe he realized that your mom is gonna hate him regardless for sleeping with you and that there really is nothing he could have said that would have changed her mind about him? He probably just didn’t want to make the situation worse for you guys by arguing with her. I’m sure he cares, Frankie. He loves you, right?”

Frank nods and feels tears sting his eyes as he thinks about how much he loves Gerard and about how messed up everything has become. In a second Frank starts sobbing with his face in his hands and Jamia scoots her chair closer to him and comfortingly puts her arm over his shoulder.

Chelsea shortly returns to the table with their drinks. “What happened?” she asks, sounding concerned as she places the vodka cranberry and the bottle of beer down on the tabletop before having a seat.

“Just a bit of...relationship drama,” Jamia says, choosing her words carefully.

Chelsea raises an eyebrow curiously.

“It’s fine; you can tell her,” Frank sniffs as he wipes his eyes with his hand, his voice sounding thick from crying.

Jamia looks over at Chelsea before speaking. “Frankie’s been seeing his best friend’s dad for a while and today his mom caught them in bed together and then told the guy’s wife...” she explains. 

“Oh...shit,” says Chelsea, sounding stunned. “Sounds like I should have brought back an extra round of drinks...”

Frank chuckles a bit as he continues to wipe away his tears. “This will do for now. Thank you,” he says, taking a few sips of his vodka cranberry. It doesn’t taste as good as the one Gerard makes for him, but it’ll do.

Frank notices that Jamia and Chelsea are now subtly looking at each other awkwardly like they’re not sure what to say to him next. “I’m sorry I’m killing the vibe right now...I just don’t really have anyone else to talk to and I didn’t wanna be alone,” he says.

“No, don’t apologize—I’m glad you came,” says Jamia, reassuringly placing a hand on Frank’s forearm. “I wouldn’t want you to be by yourself right now either,” she adds with a friendly smile.

Chelsea nods in agreement. “Yeah, you definitely need to be around your friends right now,” she says.

“Thanks, guys,” Frank sniffs before taking a couple more large sips of his drink, already feeling slightly lightheaded from the alcohol.

A moment later, a guy with bright pink hair who’s wearing a black and white baseball shirt and black jeans approaches boisterously and plops himself down in the chair next to Frank at the round bar table.

“‘Sup, ladies? You lookin’ to party tonight?” he asks, eyeing Chelsea and Jamia. “I got some good stuff...”

Jamia and Chelsea exchange a look but Frank can’t read what it’s about.

“Uh, no thanks. We’re not buying tonight...” Jamia says somewhat standoffishly.

“Aight then...” says the guy with a quick shrug. “Who’s the baby?” he asks, nudging Frank’s shoulder as he looks at him, apparently referring to the sulking teen as “the baby.”

“Jonah, piss off—he’s not interested,” says Jamia, sounding unimpressed.

“Whoa, that’s how you talk to a friend, Jams? Damn, that’s cold...” Jonah says with a chuckle as Jamia rolls her eyes. “So, what’s your name?” he asks, looking at Frank again.

“Frank,” Frank replies disinterestedly, not really feeling like socializing with this guy right now.

“I’m Jonah,” Jonah says, holding his hand out to Frank who shakes it reluctantly so as not to seem rude. “Good to meet ya,” he says.

“Yeah, you too,” Frank says after they shake hands. “What are you selling?” he asks curiously.

“Frankie, don’t...” Jamia says, looking at Frank sternly, which only intrigues him even more.

“What? I smoke weed all the time—I’m not a fucking baby,” says Frank defensively.

“He doesn’t just sell weed though...” says Chelsea.

“So?” says Frank with a shrug, not really caring about anything right now, just wanting to forget about what had happened with his mom earlier. “Maybe I wanna try something else...”

Jamia looks at Chelsea and they exchange another look; this time Jamia shakes her head.

“How old are you?” asks Jonah, still looking at Frank, now eyeing him up and down.

“Eighteen,” Frank replies confidently.

“ _Oh_ , shit...” Jonah says with a bit of a laugh. “Forget it—I’m not tryna ruin your life, kid,” he says.

“Don’t fucking call me “kid,”” Frank says moodily before downing the rest of his drink. He’s so tired of everyone around him treating him like he’s incapable of making his own decisions just because he’s young. 

Jonah raises an eyebrow. “You think you’re tough or somethin’?” he asks with a slight smirk on his face.

“Look, I dunno what your deal is, but I’m really not in the mood,” says Frank.

“Damn, I’m just messin’ with you, bro,” says Jonah with a laugh. “What’s up with you, anyway? Like, why even come here if you ain’t gonna chill?”

Frank sighs dramatically and puts his face in his hands, really not wanting to explain everything again. “Jamia?” he asks, looking to her to fill Jonah in.

“Uh...his mom walked in on him and his best friend’s dad earlier...” Jamia says.

Jonah looks stunned for a second. “You mean, like... _fucking_?” he asks, looking at Frank, who then nods. “Holy shit...no wonder you don’t wanna be called “kid”—you’re out here fuckin’ guys twice your age and shit,” Jonah says, laughing. “So, that’s what you’re into? DILFs? I mean, I’m only twenty-three and I ain’t got a kid, but I’d let you call me “daddy” if you wanted to,” he says smoothly, smirking a bit.

“Jonah, stop. That’s not funny,” says Jamia, probably noticing Frank’s uncomfortable facial expression. 

Frank feels like hiding under the table when he realizes that Jonah is flirting with him, and when his phone goes off he’s so relieved for the distraction—that is, until he sees who the message is from: Mikey. Frank suddenly feels his heart drop into the pit of his stomach when he sees the notification, and as he reads the message his heart immediately begins to race and he starts to feel sick to his stomach. 

**Mikey** : _We need to fucking talk. Now. In person. Because I don’t fucking believe what I just heard from my mom. Need to hear it from you. Reply ASAP._

“Hey, what’s the matter?” asks Jamia with a concerned expression on her face as she looks at Frank, probably noticing his uneasy expression as he stares at his phone screen.

Frank just slides his phone across the table-top over to Jamia with the message from Mikey open on the screen so that she can read it. His mouth feels like sandpaper and he feels so queasy from the amount of anxiety he’s feeling right now. Chelsea and Jonah begin chatting about something unrelated as Frank and Jamia interact.

“Shit...” says Jamia after reading the message. “What are you gonna do? Are you gonna go meet up with him?” she asks, sliding Frank’s phone back over to him.

Frank sighs deeply, taking his phone back into his hands. “I don’t really have a choice, do I?” he says. 

“Yeah, you do; you always have a choice. He can’t _make_ you talk with him tonight if you don’t want to,” Jamia says. 

Frank sighs again. “I know...” he says. “But, I just think that if I were him I wouldn’t be able to wait ‘til tomorrow to get answers. Who knows what his mom even told him—she’s lied about me to Gerard before, so I know what she’s capable of.”

“It’s really up to you,” says Jamia with a little shrug. 

“Can you come with me?” Frank asks hopefully. “For like, moral support?”

Jamia looks uncomfortable as she replies. “Frankie, this event is really important to Chelsea. As much as I want to be there for you, too, I can’t just _leave_...” 

Frank nods. “Yeah, of course. I shouldn’t have asked,” he says, shaking his head and feeling a little embarrassed.

“It’s cool, hun. You can always call me afterwards if you wanna talk, even if it’s like three in the morning or whatever—I don’t mind.”

“Thanks,” says Frank with a small smile. He then takes a deep breath and starts tapping out a reply to Mikey on his phone.

 **Frank** : _where should i meet u?_

*

Frank is walking into the skate park he was at earlier today—the place where he and Mikey have agreed to meet. He stands in the grassy area that’s next to the concrete playground and waits. When he finally sees Mikey walking towards him, his body begins to tremble with anxiety. 

“So, is it true?” Mikey asks as he approaches quickly and aggressively. “You fucking slept with my dad?”

Mikey isn’t slowing down at all as he approaches and Frank takes a few steps back, not sure if they’re gonna fight or what the hell is happening right now. 

“Mikey, I—” Frank starts, but before he can continue Mikey’s fist forcefully collides with his face, sending him falling down onto the grass with a heavy _thud_ which knocks the wind out of him. “Fuck, Mikey!” Frank exclaims as he holds his throbbing left cheekbone with one hand. 

“Some goddamn best friend you are,” Mikey spits coldly, looking down at Frank without remorse.

“I’m sorry...” Frank says weakly as he looks up.

“You’re not sorry—you were never even gonna tell me, were you? You’re just sorry that you got caught. You’re a fucking liar, Frank. Not to mention a fake-ass friend,” Mikey begins angrily. 

“When my mom came to pick me up tonight she was crying so hard that I don’t even know how the hell she made it all the way there without crashing the fucking car. I was so fucking scared—I thought that something had happened to my dad or that someone in our family had died or something. When I finally calmed her down enough to speak, all she said was, “Frank’s mom caught him in bed with your dad,” and I was so fucking confused. I think I asked her to repeat herself about twenty times because I just could not make sense of what she was saying to me. For a second I was terrified that she was losing her mind because I know my dad’s not gay and I had no idea that you are. It just didn’t make any sense to me. 

“Anyway, I drove us home because my mom was way too upset—I’ve never seen her so broken before. It was so fucking hard to see her like that. She kept apologizing to me for letting me find out the way I did and it broke my heart because none of this is even her fault. When we got home my dad was sitting in the kitchen and my mom just went up to him and slapped him across the face and started yelling at him, calling him a liar, telling him she knew all along that you guys were sleeping together and that he‘d been too much of a pussy to admit it to her. He didn’t deny any of it. I didn’t even know that my mom knew it was you who he was messing around with—that was definitely news to me.

“I was so fucking angry at my dad and I still am. I told him I hate him, that’s he’s a selfish fuck and that I don’t even know who he is anymore. I feel the same way about you, too. Besides my mom, you two were the only people in the world who I felt like I could really count on for shit and be open with and now I feel like I’m totally alone. This night just feels like a fucking whirlwind nightmare...”

“Mikey, I never meant to hurt you...” Frank says contritely as he gets back onto his feet.

“Please fucking spare me the bullshit,” says Mikey, shaking his head. “God, I have so many questions and half of them I don’t even wanna know the answer to...”

“I can explain anything you want me to,” Frank says pleadingly, desperately wanting Mikey to hear him out. 

“I’d love for you to explain why you thought it was okay to fuck my dad. And, maybe why you never told me you’re gay even though we’ve been friends since middle school. And, while you’re at it, explain to me why you lied to my fucking face that day when we were at my house sitting by the pool and I told you I thought my dad cheated on my mom.”

“Mikey, I know I’ve been a fucking terrible friend to you...and I feel like there’s nothing I can say that will make this better. All I can say is that I’m so fucking sorry that I hurt you and betrayed your trust.”

“You’re right. There _is_ nothing you can say. You ruined my fucking life,” says Mikey. “You know, I thought it was really strange that one morning when you wanted to go hiking with my dad at like seven o’clock. I tried to think of a reason why you—the laziest fucking person I know—would willingly get up that early to do a two-hour hike with my dad, knowing that I wasn’t even coming. I just brushed it off because the last thing I thought was that you had a crush on him or that you were sleeping with him.

“I admit that when I was dating Alicia I ignored you at times when you were over at my house because I was so preoccupied with her—she liked to fuckin’ talk non-stop and I was so whipped for her. But, that doesn’t for one second justify you basically throwing yourself at my dad for attention the way you did.

“I’m absolutely disgusted with you and I don’t even want to hear your side of things because I know you’re just gonna spew out bullshit excuses. So, I’m giving you two options, Frank. Option one: never see or talk to my dad ever again and we can maybe still have a relationship after I heal from this betrayal. Option two: continue to see my dad and be forever dead to me.”

Frank stands there stunned for a moment. “You’re really gonna make me choose between you two?” he asks wearily, feeling emotionally drained and like this is gonna be just the thing to finally rip his heart out. He thinks that maybe this is what Mikey wants; for him to feel the pain of having his heart ripped open.

“Is it that hard of a decision?” Mikey asks, his voice sounding thick as though he’s on the verge of crying.

Frank can tell that Mikey’s hurt and it makes him feel so guilty. He’s silent for a moment while he works up the nerve to say what he’s about to say, and when he’s finally ready he takes a deep breath and begins to speak. 

“Mikey...I’m in love with your dad. I didn’t mean for it to happen—I swear. I was honestly just messing around at first; flirting with him and being an irresponsible brat, thinking that coming on to him would make me seem cool or grown up or some shit. Plus, I really liked the attention I got from him when I was flirting—it made me feel special and honestly I just liked feeling _wanted_. After a while though—actually, like really early on—I started to feel things for him...and I knew he felt things for me, too. Eventually we both just admitted to each other how we felt. 

“I can’t imagine not having him in my life anymore. The same way I can’t imagine not having _you_ in my life anymore. You’re my best fucking friend, Mikey. I know I hurt you so badly and I know I betrayed your trust in the worst way, but I don’t wanna fucking lose you. I _can’t_ lose you. Our friendship means the world to me. I promise I can be a better person. Just...please don’t make me choose. It’ll absolutely break me.”

Mikey is silent for a while as he paces back and forth in the grass, shaking his head as he processes what Frank has just told him. “You’re the ones who put yourselves in this situation, so make the fucking choice, Frank. If my dad was able to choose, then so can you,” he says.

Frank feels a sudden, deep sinking in the pit of his stomach. “What do you mean by “if my dad was able to choose”?” he asks blankly, not sure if he can even feel anything anymore.

“I gave him the same two options and he didn’t even have to think twice before he chose me over you,” Mikey says almost tauntingly.

Frank feels a painful lump in his dry throat when he swallows. “Oh...” he says quietly. “Why’d you even ask me to choose then? It doesn’t really matter what I want, does it...?”

“No. It fucking doesn’t,” Mikey says bitingly. “My dad doesn’t want you and I think you deserve to feel like shit because of it. You lied to my face and basically pretended to have my back when you were the one stabbing it all along. You’re a fucking piece of shit, Frank. Why don’t you go home and cry to your mom since she’s the only person in the entire world who fucking wants you.”

Frank’s eyes immediately well up with tears at hearing Mikey’s hurtful words. He feels absolutely gutted as he stands there in front of the person who used to be his best friend. “Fuck you, Mikey,” he says before turning around and walking away with no destination in mind. 

When Frank’s dad had walked out on him and his mom, he’d told Mikey exactly how unwanted he’d felt afterwards which made Mikey’s cruel words feel exactly like a sharp knife to Frank’s heart; those words had killed him and Mikey knew they would. Frank is walking aimlessly and his vision is blurry from his tears and he doesn’t even care if he’s about to walk into traffic right now because he absolutely is not having a good time being alive right now. If Gerard doesn’t want him then he doesn’t have a reason to live. 

When his phone starts to ring, Frank’s not even sure where he is or how long he’s been walking for; he just feels like he’s in a trance, not really feeling anything but at the same time feeling every bit of pain that he’s in. In his trance-like state Frank manages to take his phone out of his pocket and look at the screen. When he sees that it’s Gerard he answers immediately.

“Hey, are you there?” says Gerard, probably just hearing Frank sniffing and trying to compose himself for a second.

“Gerard?” Frank sobs into the phone, suddenly feeling his emotions surging back to the surface when he hears the voice of the man he’s in love with.

“Frankie,” Gerard says, sounding relieved to hear they boy’s voice but worried at the same time. “Baby, are you okay?” he asks as Frank continues to sob.

“N-no,” Frank cries heavily. “Mikey s-said...you don’t w-want me anymore,” he says between gasping breaths as he cries. “He said...n-nobody fucking wants me except for my mom.”

“Goddammit...” Gerard says darkly, sounding extremely pissed for a second. “You know that’s not true, Frankie,” he says gently.

“H-he was so m-mean to me, Gerard,” Frank sniffs, recalling all of the hurtful words and insults that Mikey had spewed out at him.

“Yeah, I can tell...” Gerard says under his breath with a frustrated sigh. “I’m so sorry, baby boy. Are you at home? I wanna come get you so that we can talk.”

“No, I’m not at home; I’m out walking,” says Frank, looking around at the street signs as his crying begins to wane. “I’m at the corner of Second and Willow.”

“Wait for me there, okay? I’ll pick you up in ten minutes.”

“Okay,” Frank sniffs, wiping his eyes.

He gets off the phone with Gerard and waits the ten minutes at the intersection until the man pulls up along the curb in front of him in his black SUV. Frank walks over and opens the front passenger’s side door and when he gets in, Gerard immediately takes off his seatbelt and reaches over to give Frank a warm, one-armed hug. 

“Everything’s gonna be okay, baby,” says Gerard comfortingly. “I promise you’ll be okay...”

“Are _you_ okay? I heard Lindsey fucking slapped you,” Frank says as he pulls back, feeling his blood pressure rise from just thinking about someone hurting Gerard. 

“Yeah, I’m fine. That’s not even the worst of it,” says Gerard. “She also kicked me out of my own house. And, Mikey says he hates me, that I ruined his life and that he doesn’t want anything to do with me unless I stop seeing you.”

Frank glances into the back seat and is angry when he realizes that there are bags and suitcases packed up with Gerard’s things in them. “Why are you letting her kick you out? It’s your fucking house, too. Does she just expect you to live on the street or something?”

“I think it’s best for now if I give them some space with how hurt they‘re feeling. I’ll check into a motel or something tonight.” 

“I think that’s fucking bullshit,” says Frank, shaking his head. “She could have at least let you sleep in the den on the couch or something.”

“Been there, done that—for a few months already,” Gerard admits. “Really, it’s fine, Frankie. Living alone will give me some time to focus on finding a lawyer and all that.”

“A _lawyer_?” asks Frank, puzzled.

“Yeah—for the divorce. I know her greedy-ass is gonna try to fuck me over so I’m gonna try my best to not let that happen.” 

“Shit... I didn’t realize you were getting divorced,” says Frank quietly, looking down at his fidgeting hands and feeling guilty.

“Well, she fucking hates me and I don’t respect her and things have been shit between us for a while now, so I think it’s for the best that I asked her for one.”

Frank sighs deeply. “This is all my fucking fault,” he says, putting his face in his hands. 

“No, it isn’t,” Gerard disagrees. “Don’t blame yourself. This is _my_ fault—I’m the older adult and I should have known better than to get involved with my son’s best friend. I feel terribly that I hurt Mikey like this. He’s my only child and I basically alienated myself from him. He’s pretty adamant that we stop seeing each other, Frankie; he says that if we do, then he might be able to forgive us and have a relationship with us again at some point. And if we don’t, then he’s going to sever all ties with us and never speak to us again.”

“Gerard...what are you saying?” asks Frank carefully, feeling his heart rate begin to speed up with more anxiety. 

“Frankie, you know I love you...so fucking much. There’s nothing I want more than to be with you. If things were different I’d even ask you to move in with me when I find a new place, if you wanted to. But, I can’t lose contact with my son—I brought him into this world and I owe it to him to be there for him and to support him no matter what. That’s just what a parent should do for their kid. It doesn’t mean that I don’t love and care about you and want to be with you—always. You’re perfect for me, Frankie. I just can’t be that parent who lets their kid down.”

Frank feels numb as he sits in the parked car with Gerard. He feels weary and devoid of all emotion after hearing Gerard tell him they can’t be together anymore. “Mikey was right: my mom _is_ the only person in the entire world who fucking wants me,” he says.

“Frankie...I told you: nothing has changed in how I feel about you. I _do_ want you. More than anything. We just...can’t right now. Who knows—maybe with some time Mikey will come around to the idea of us being together...”

“When? In like two years?” says Frank heatedly. “Why don’t we just keep seeing each other in secret like we’ve been doing this entire time? Except no more meeting at my house—just at the motel you’re staying at or your new place when you get one.”

“Wouldn’t you feel shitty just continuing to lie to Mikey after all of this?”

Frank sighs. “Yeah, of course I would,” he says. “Well...what if you just explained to him that we’re in love and that we want to keep seeing each other?” he says desperately, knowing full well that the idea is stupid. 

“You know how that conversation would go...” Gerard says. “Do you really want Mikey to feel the way you felt when your dad left?”

Frank shakes his head. “Of course not. Fuck, I hate this...” he says frustratedly. “If only I’d brought my fucking phone up to my room with me earlier, then we wouldn’t be in this mess right now.”

“You need to stop blaming yourself, Frankie. None of this is your fault,” says Gerard.

Frank shakes head again and he begins to sob uncontrollably again as it sinks in that he and Gerard are really breaking up. He can’t believe that everything is falling apart like this, that he’s being forced to stop seeing the man he loves. He understands why Gerard wants to respect Mikey’s request—it’s because he’s a good dad who just wants the best for his son, whom he obviously loves dearly. Frank just finds it so fucking unfair that Mikey gets to control the situation. Frank leans over and clings to Gerard as he cries and Gerard holds the boy close and rubs his back comfortingly.

“I don’t want us to break up, Gerard...I don’t think I can live without you,” Frank sobs into the man’s T-shirt. 

“Frankie...my sweet boy...” says Gerard softly into Frank’s ear, his voice sounding like he’s holding back tears now. “You’ll be okay...”

“C-can I stay with you at the motel tonight?” asks Frank hopefully, his body shaking as he cries. “Just for tonight?”

“Baby...no,” says Gerard in a pained voice into the crook of Frank’s neck. “Let’s not make this any harder than it is already.”

“God, this is so fucking unfair,” Frank cries. “I love you so much.”

Gerard holds Frank tighter and sighs. “I love you, too, baby boy,” he says softly. 

Suddenly Frank’s phone starts ringing and he sighs as he pulls away from Gerard to check who’s calling. When he sees that it’s his mom he rolls his eyes and shows Gerard the screen.

“You should take that,” Gerard says. “She’s probably worried about you and wondering where you are,” he says. 

“I don’t wanna fucking talk to her though. I’m still so pissed at her for telling Lindsey everything.”

“Frankie,” Gerard says firmly in his stern ‘dad voice,’ which catches Frank off guard a little. “Answer the phone,” he orders.

Frank doesn’t hesitate this time. He taps the green button on the phone’s screen and answers the call.

“Hi, Mom,” Frank says shortly.

“Frankie, honey, where are you?” Linda asks, sounding worried just as Gerard had predicted. “You’ve been gone for two hours now...”

“I’m with Gerard,” says Frank. 

“Well, I want you home right now, okay? You’re not to see that man anymore.”

“I’m not fucking coming home,” Frank snaps. “I’m tired of being controlled and having my decisions made for me.”

“Yes, he is coming home,” Gerard says loudly towards the phone so that Linda can hear him. “I’ll have him home in fifteen minutes.”

Frank’s eyes widen and he looks over at Gerard incredulously. “What the hell?” he exclaims as he hangs up on his mom. 

Gerard begins to drive. “You’re making this way harder than it has to be by prolonging the inevitable, Frankie.”

“I’m making this harder? How come it seems so fucking easy for you then?” Frank says hotly.

“You think it’s easy for me just ‘cause I’m not acting out like a teenager?” says Gerard. “I basically just lost my family and now I’m losing you and you somehow think this is _easy_ for me? Do you want me to scream and cry to prove to you that I’m devastated about my whole fucking life being in ruins right now and that I don’t know how the hell I’m going to live without you either?”

They both sit there in silence for a moment after Gerard finishes venting. “I’m sorry,” says Frank quietly after a while.

Gerard sighs. “It’s okay. So am I,” he says, putting his hand on Frank’s thigh.

Frank puts his hand on top of Gerard’s and they drive in silence until they get to Frank’s house and Gerard parks the car along the street in front of it.

“Don’t call or text me unless you want to be disappointed, because I won’t reply,” says Gerard, seemingly unable to look Frank in the eyes right now.

Frank feels his eyes well up with tears again because fuck, this is really happening—they’re really breaking up. The cold realization hurts Frank tremendously, though he just nods his head to convey that he understands.

“Go inside now; your mom’s watching us from the door,” says Gerard.

Frank looks towards the front door of his house and sure enough his mom is standing there in the doorway with her arms folded across her chest. Frank looks at Gerard and their eyes meet for a moment; he sees the pain in the man’s eyes and it absolutely crushes him.

“We don’t have to do this,” says Frank softly, pleading for Gerard to change his mind but deep down knowing it’s futile.

Gerard shakes his head. “I can’t have my son never talk to me again,” he says.

Frank nods again, knowing there’s no way he can argue against that, especially knowing how it feels to have been basically thrown away and forgotten by his own dad.

“Go now, Frankie. You’ll be okay,” says Gerard quickly, sounding like he’s trying hard to fight back tears.

Frank can’t help but to burst into another fit of sobbing as he sits there. He knows that as soon as he leaves this car he’s not going to get to see or hold or kiss or talk to Gerard again. The pain he feels is endless and severe. He can’t even speak with how hard he’s crying right now; he can’t even compose himself enough to say a proper goodbye to Gerard before he opens the car door and hops out, shutting it closed before running up the driveway of his house and pushing past his mom at the doorway as he runs inside. 

“Frankie?” Linda says with concern as she watches her son run upstairs, still sobbing uncontrollably.

Frank goes into his room and slams the door shut behind him before climbing into bed and continuing to sob heavily into his pillow. It’s not long before he hears a knock on his bedroom door.

“Frankie? Can I talk to you, honey?” Linda asks gently through the closed door.

“No! Just stay the fuck away from me! I don’t want anything to do with you right now!” Frank half sobs half yells at his mom. 

There’s silence outside of his bedroom door after that and he hears his mom retreat downstairs. When Frank buries his face in his pillow again he notices that it still kind of smells like Gerard’s aftershave and it makes him sob even harder even though the smell is comforting to him. Frank doesn’t know how the fuck he’s ever going to recover from the pain of this breakup when it feels like a piece of his heart has been ripped out...


	11. Chapter 11

Throughout the weeks that followed his sudden breakup with Gerard, Frank physically couldn’t leave his bed for anything except to use the bathroom. It was just too exhausting for him to do anything at all; the emotional pain he felt drained him of every ounce of motivation he had to take care of himself. He was barely eating and drinking and he wasn’t bathing. At first, Frank’s mom had just let him do what he wanted, which was to stay in bed all day crying and doing nothing while he told her to go away every time she tried to speak to him. However, when after a couple of weeks there was still no noticeable improvement in Frank’s mood and motivation for self-care, Linda started having to force Frank to eat and drink and to get out of bed and take care of himself instead of just gently encouraging him to do those things. By then, Frank had lost a visible amount of weight which he really couldn’t afford to lose with how small he was to begin with. 

By the two-month mark after the breakup, Frank’s motivation for self-care had improved some, but his relationship with his mom had deteriorated. They were now in a cycle of Linda trying to force Frank to leave the house and to socialize in order to at least try to move on and get over Gerard instead of wallowing in his sadness alone. In these situations, Frank would throw tantrums and direct outbursts of anger at Linda which would usually end up with him in a crying fit where he would sob about there being “no point in being alive if I can’t be with him.” 

Worried sick that her son might hurt himself while she was at work, Linda decided to ask her manager for a month-long leave of absence from her nursing job at the hospital to stay at home with Frank. As unfair as it was, Frank resented his mom—she was the one who’d made him and Gerard have to break up so abruptly by telling Lindsey about them that night. He couldn’t express how guilty he felt when she took time off work just to be there for him when he’d basically yelled at her every day for a month and blamed her for what had happened. But, he needed to blame someone for it and at that time he hadn’t been ready to face the fact that he’d created this mess in the first place by coming on to Gerard. 

It’s now been three months since Frank had last seen or spoken to Gerard and he finally has plans to hang out with Jamia and Chelsea tonight. Although lately it‘s been easier for Frank to get out of bed and he’s now even going to leave the house tonight, he’s still painfully sad and upset about his breakup with Gerard and everything that had come along with it. On top of the guilt he feels about Gerard losing his family and about blaming his mom for everything that had happened, Frank has been having panic attacks about being alone forever and not being able to find anyone he loves as much as he loves Gerard. He’s really scared that he’ll never get over him; that he’ll feel this hurt forever.

Linda is returning to work tomorrow and all day Frank has been anxious about having to be at home alone all the time again. His relationship with his mom has improved greatly over the past month of her being home with him everyday; they hung out basically everyday doing things like watching movies, going for walks and making meals together. Frank is still depressed and wondering how Gerard is doing; missing him deeply. He even misses Mikey and hopes he’s doing okay even though the other boy had said some pretty hurtful things to him the last time they’d spoken. Despite his continuing emotional pain, Frank has definitely come a far way over the past three months. He’s realized recently that he feels better when he’s spending time with his mom, and like shit when he’s by himself—alone with his thoughts and his pain. This realization has helped him to decide to accept Jamia’s invitation to hang out with her and Chelsea tonight.

After showering and getting dressed, Frank goes downstairs to the kitchen where his mom is putting together her lunch for tomorrow. His heart sinks when he remembers she’s going back to work in the morning.

“Hey, Mom,” Frank says when he walks into the room.

Linda stops what she’s doing and turns around, smiling immediately when she sees her son. “Hey, sweetie,” she says. “You’re looking well. Are you hungry?”

“Thanks,” says Frank, glad it’s obvious that he’s showered and brushed his hair and teeth. It’s a chilly late-December evening so he’s wearing a pair of black jeans and a warm and comfortable black hoodie. “I think I’m gonna eat with Jamia and Chelsea, but thanks.”

“No worries,” says Linda cheerfully. “It makes me so happy that you’re going to spend time with your friends tonight.”

Frank smiles a bit and nods. “Yeah,” he says, agreeing but at the same time feeling kinda nervous to see them. “Hey, mom?”

“Yeah, honey?”

“I just wanted to say thanks for being there for me these past few months. You took a month off to stay with me when you didn’t have to. I really appreciate it,” he says. He goes over to her and hugs her tightly as he holds back tears of sincere gratitude. “And I’m so sorry for disappointing you and for all the times I yelled at you and blamed you for what happened—it’s not your fault and it wasn’t fair to put that on you. I love you, Mom.”

“I love you so much, sweetie. I’d do it over again for you in a heartbeat—you’re everything to me. I’m sorry for hurting you by telling Lindsey; I just thought I was doing the right thing and protecting you. That’s all I ever try to do. And I don’t ever want you to think you aren’t the best kid in the world because you are, sweetie,” she says before sweetly kissing the top of his head.

Frank feels a warm feeling inside, glad to have finally made up with his mom after the difficult relationship they’d had for a few months.

“Do you know what time you’ll be home later?” Linda asks as they part.

“I’m not sure, but I doubt I’ll be out that late,” says Frank. He’s just forcing himself to go out and be social—it’s not like he really even wants to see anybody right now or ever.

“Okay. Have fun and be safe,” says Linda.

“Thanks,” says Frank before turning and heading towards the door to get his shoes on and head out.

On his way to meet up with his friends, Frank walks by the Ways’ old house. There had been a “for sale” sign in front of the house for months and Frank notices that it now has a sticker that reads “sold” plastered across it. He inevitably thinks about Gerard and wonders where he’s living now, if he’s okay, if he’s even still in town...

Frank takes a short bus ride to get to Jamia and Chelsea’s apartment building and when he arrives he rings the buzzer to let them know he’s here. When he hears Jamia’s bright-sounding voice through the intercom he smiles and is instantly more excited than nervous to see her again. He hasn’t been working since the breakup—Jamia was kind enough to talk to their boss at the café and convince them to allow Frank to take some time off and return when he’s able to. 

Frank makes his way up to the girls’ apartment and knocks on the door. Jamia opens it and immediately pulls Frank in for a hug as she grins.

“Frankie! It’s so good to see you. I missed you,” Jamia exclaims as she hugs her friend. 

Frank laughs as he hugs Jamia back and he almost can’t breathe from how tightly she‘s squeezing him. “I missed you, too,” he says.

Jamia finally lets go of Frank and invites him into the apartment. The space is small but cozy and there’s a delicious smell wafting throughout the room from the kitchen.

“Chelsea’s cooking for us,” says Jamia as she leads Frank into the small living room where she takes a seat on one of the couches.

“Oh, so _that’s_ what smells so good,” says Frank. “That’s so nice of her,” he adds.

“She’s an amazing cook; she spoils me so much and I love it,” Jamia says.

Just then, Chelsea emerges from the kitchen. “Hey, Frankie,” she says with a smile as she walks into the room. “How’re you doing?”

“Hey, Chels,” says Frank. “I’m doing okay. Every day is a little better, I guess,” he says.

“One day at a time, right? It’s nice to see you again,” says Chelsea. 

“Thanks, it’s nice to see you guys, too. It’s been pretty lonely for me lately and my mom’s going back to work tomorrow.”

“Yeah, we haven’t hung out in months...” says Jamia. “Your mom was off work?”

“Yeah, she took a month off to stay at home with me because she thought I was gonna kill myself after...well, you know...” says Frank. It still hurts too much for him to even say Gerard’s name out loud. 

“Shit...” says Jamia. “Damn, you had it really rough there for a while. I wish I could have been there for you through it all but you were like, totally unreachable most times when I tried to call or text you.”

“Yeah...I know. I was in a really bad place...like, severely depressed.” 

“I guess it’s kind of expected with how dramatically and suddenly you guys broke up and how much you two obviously cared about each other.”

Frank shrugs. “Yeah, I dunno...I just didn’t think I could live without him and I still don’t, but, I mean...here I am,” he says. 

“Have you talked to Mikey at all?” asks Jamia.

Frank shakes his head, feeling his heart sink at the mention of his ex-best friend. “No...” he says glumly. “I literally haven’t talked to anyone but my mom for like three months,” he admits.

“Aww...” says Jamia empathetically. “I’m so glad you’re finally feeling okay enough to hang out and be social again.”

“Yeah...I mean, my mom really pushed me to get out of the house and stuff again. It definitely didn’t all come from me,” Frank says. 

“See, that’s a good mom,” says Chelsea. “She seems really supportive.”

“Yeah, she definitely is. She’s the best,” says Frank.

Chelsea’s phone starts ringing and she answers it. “Hey. Are you here?” she says before getting up to unlock the front door. “Yeah, yeah, come on up—the door’s open,” she says before pressing a button on her phone to buzz whoever in.

“Who was that?” asks Frank somewhat nervously, thinking it was just going to be the three of them hanging out tonight.

“It was Jonah—you met him at Chelsea’s fundraiser that one night a few months ago. He’s just coming over so we can buy weed off him,” says Jamia, and then Frank realizes that Jonah must be more of their plug than their friend. 

“C’mon, be real, Jams—you know he’s only coming over right now ‘cause we mentioned that Frank would be here,” says Chelsea. She turns to look at Frank then. “He literally always makes us go to his place to buy, but as soon as I mentioned in passing that you’d be over at ours tonight he suddenly wasn’t “too stoned to drive” like he’d been claiming he was earlier,” she says.

Frank raises an eyebrow, surprised at Jonah’s apparent interest in him. “What? I’ve literally said like five words to him...”

“Apparently those five words were enough for him to start asking about you constantly,” says Chelsea. 

“He’s been asking about me?” says Frank, his eyebrow raising even higher as he becomes even more surprised.

“Yeah, a few times he’s been like, “Where’s that Frank kid at? He seemed cool,” and I’d be like, “dude, I’m not his keeper—we haven’t seen him.””

Frank looks over at Jamia and notices that she doesn’t look impressed. “You seem to not be a fan of him,” he says to his displeased-looking friend.

Jamia shrugs. “He’s literally never sober,” she says. “And, for the record, I don’t think someone as young and innocent as you should be hanging out with someone like him, if that’s what you’re thinking of doing.”

““Young and innocent?” Fuck me...” says Frank irritably, frustrated that everyone still seems to think of him as this little kid who needs to be protected.

“What? It’s true: you’re a baby,” says Jamia somewhat smugly. “You might not think so, but it’s true.”

Frank rolls his eyes, lowkey kind of pissed at Jamia for her condescending comment, but he doesn’t say anything more about it. 

The front door opens suddenly and then Jonah saunters into the apartment. Frank is caught off guard by how interested he becomes when he sees that Jonah has gotten a few tattoos on his arms and has a steel barbell piercing on the upper cartilage of his left ear and a nose ring. Frank finds the guy’s dark eyes, bright pink hair and short brown facial hair attractive, and it sort of makes him feel weird that he’s actually checking out someone other than Gerard. 

Jonah has a cigarette tucked behind his ear and he’s wearing black track pants with a red Supreme lanyard hanging out of the right front pocket and a plain white T-shirt up top. His eyelids look heavy as though he hasn’t slept in days and Frank is amazed that the guy had even attempted to drive here considering how stoned he appears to be right now. Frank has to admit that he can see why it seems like Jamia doesn’t want him and Jonah to interact with each other, but at the same time he’s intrigued by the recklessness of the guy’s actions—especially considering he’s apparently the reason Jonah is even here right now.

“Hey, Jones,” Chelsea says, giving Jonah a nod.

“Chels,” says Jonah, giving her a little nod back. “‘Sup, Jams?” he asks, looking over at Jamia now.

“Hi,” says Jamia disinterestedly.

Jonah looks at Frank. “She doesn’t like me; she just likes my fuckin’ weed,” he says, making Frank smirk at the way he just calls Jamia out like that without giving a fuck. Jonah then narrows his eyes as he looks at Frank with a calculating expression on his face. “Frankie, right?” he asks.

Frank nods. “Yeah,” he says, finding it kinda funny how Jonah’s pretending to have almost forgotten his name.

“So, you gonna break out the stuff or what?” says Jamia impatiently, seeming eager for Jonah to leave.

“Yo, can you tell your girl to chill? She’s fuckin’ with my vibe,” says Jonah to Chelsea as he sits down on the chair across from the couch.

“She can’t be told what to do,” says Chelsea teasingly, laughing a bit as she puts her arm around Jamia’s waist.

Jonah takes out a small bag of weed buds from the pocket of his pants and tosses it onto the coffee table in front of him. “I’m already worked up from the fuckin’ cop who was ridin’ my ass on the drive over here,” he says. “I just need to chill.”

“I fucking wish he pulled you over,” says Jamia.

Jonah looks at Jamia with a puzzled expression on his face. “Damn... What’s up with you? You’re hatin’ on me more than usual tonight,” he says.

“I just wish you weren’t so goddamn irresponsible,” says Jamia. “Driving as high as you are right now is pretty fucked up.”

Jonah nods and shrugs. “That’s fair,” he says, leaning back in the chair with his legs spread open, making Frank feel warmer all of a sudden.

“Anyway...” says Chelsea. “What strain is that?” she asks, gesturing towards the bag of weed on the table.

“Uh, shit... I’m on xans; I forget,” says Jonah with a little laugh that makes his eyes crinkle in the corners the way Gerard’s do. Suddenly Frank can’t take his eyes off of him.

Chelsea rolls her eyes. “Seriously?” she says.

Jonah shrugs and Frank watches interestedly as he takes the cigarette out from behind his ear and puts one end of it in his mouth before taking out a lighter. “It’ll come to me,” he says.

“You have to go outside to smoke, dude,” Jamia says. “Our landlord already gave us shit for it.”

Jonah takes the cigarette out of his mouth and Frank is caught off guard when the guy looks right at him and says, “Come smoke with me.”

Frank just nods and gets up from the couch and follows Jonah outside through the glass sliding door to the patio. It’s cold out here and Frank pulls the sleeves of his hoodie down to cover his fingers. “I don’t actually smoke,” he says as he watches Jonah light his cigarette.

“I know; I just wanted to chill with you,” says Jonah, blowing smoke. “How you been?” he asks.

“Sad,” says Frank honestly. “You?”

“Same, bro,” Jonah says. “You want a hug?”

Frank smiles. “Okay,” he says as he opens his arms and wraps them around Jonah, letting himself be tightly hugged back by him. Frank feels his body relax against Jonah’s as he’s being held by him. It feels nice. 

“Better?” asks Jonah as he pulls away and takes another drag on his cigarette.

“Yeah, actually,” says Frank, realizing that he does feel a little less sad after being warmly embraced like he just had.

“You want a kiss, too?” Jonah asks with a bit of a smirk.

Frank chuckles. “Nice try,” he says, blushing a little. 

Jonah blows out more smoke. “It was worth a shot,” he says cheekily, laughing a bit.

Frank feels a sudden shiver as the winter air seems to get colder and he holds himself. “Aren’t you cold?” he asks, eyeing Jonah in his T-shirt.

“Nah,” Jonah says, shaking his head. “The stuff I took makes me feel so fuckin’ warm.” 

“Oh...” says Frank. “Jamia says you’re like never sober,” he comments.

Jonah laughs, not denying the statement. “I like feelin’ numb,” he admits with a shrug.

“I’d rather feel shitty than feel nothing at all.”

“I feel good right now, just bein’ around you...”

“Really?”

“Yeah. You know how you just vibe with certain people? That’s how I feel with you.”

Frank blushes. “Shut up...” he says playfully, feeling embarrassed even though deep down he’s enjoying the positive attention he’s getting from Jonah right now.

Jonah chuckles. “Yeah, thanks for that—sometimes I just be talkin’...” he says, letting his voice trail off before taking another drag on his cigarette.

Frank watches, sort of mesmerized by the way Jonah talks so slowly and coolly and the way how he looks as though he’s awake while dreaming, obviously high. 

Jonah smiles, watching Frank watching him. “You _do_ wanna kiss me,” he says.

Frank blushes again. “What? Get over yourself...” he says playfully, denying that Jonah’s right.

Jonah laughs lightly. “Don’t lie,” he says. “You think I don’t know that “I’m still not over my ex but let’s make out ‘cause I’m sad” look?”

Frank is shook by how spot-on Jonah is with his interpretation. “Why don’t you just kiss me then?” he says.

Jonah doesn’t hesitate for a moment before he tosses his cigarette to the ground and leans in and kisses Frank softly on the lips. Frank melts into the kiss, realizing that kissing Jonah makes him feel so much better than he’s been feeling lately. Frank’s been so sad and alone and Jonah’s, well... _there_. 

*

After that night, Frank starts spending most of his time with Jonah, driving around with him in his expensive sports car while he sells weed and pills around the city all while being high himself. Jamia doesn’t approve of them spending so much time together but Frank doesn’t really care what she thinks—he feels good when he’s with Jonah so he’s gonna keep hanging out with him. Frank wouldn’t say they’re dating—they haven’t even really talked about what it is that they’re doing—but they definitely enjoy each other’s company and have a good time together. 

Frank has been partying with Jonah every weekend at random people’s houses where he knows no one except for Jonah—and Jamia and Chelsea, if they decide to come. He’s been smoking a lot of weed with Jonah, too, and he’s starting to see why Jonah likes to numb himself with drugs—he doesn’t feel shit when he’s high; it makes him forget how much he misses Gerard for a while. When Frank’s by himself and sober, though, it’s different; all the pain comes rushing back to the surface and the weight of it crushes him until he sees Jonah again and falls into the comfort of his arms and his lips... 

It’s now about a month after Frank started hanging out with Jonah. They’re at this house-party and Jonah is more fucked up than Frank has ever seen him. He and Frank are holding hands and Jonah’s kissing him every now and then and people there who know Jonah are asking if they’re dating and Jonah keeps saying they’re just friends. The two of them are dancing together in the main room of this random party-house. Jonah’s arms are wrapped tightly around Frank’s waist and Frank’s are draped over Jonah’s shoulders as he just watches Jonah spacing out and appearing to nod off every now and then. Frank wants to feel how Jonah’s feeling—he seems so carefree and relaxed and just oblivious to everything. Frank really wants to feel that.

“What are you on?” Frank asks eventually, his curiosity getting the better of him.

Jonah seems to become more alert after Frank speaks; his eyes look more open and focused now. “Not tellin’,” he says.

“Fine, don’t tell me,” says Frank. “I just wanna try it.”

Jonah seems to think for a moment before he reaches into his pocket and takes out a little baggie with several small, white, rectangular pills inside of it. He carefully takes one out and breaks off a quarter, putting the other three-fourths of the pill back into the baggie. 

“That’s it?” asks Frank, wondering why Jonah’s only giving him a quarter of a pill. 

“Bro, that’s more than enough—you ain’t got a tolerance for it like I do,” says Jonah. “Open your mouth,” he says with a slight smile. 

Frank opens his mouth and then Jonah puts the pill in his mouth just before kissing him. They make out for a while as Frank swallows the pill and Frank feels sort of lightheaded as they do. 

“What’s it like?” asks Frank after the kiss. 

“You’ll see...” Jonah smirks. 

Frank doesn’t even care that he doesn’t know what drug Jonah’s just given him nor the effects of it; he‘s been acting more and more reckless these days because it makes him feel alive and it makes him forget about how sad he is. 

“Hey, I’ll be right back, ‘kay? Just goin’ to the bathroom,” says Jonah.

“Okay,” says Frank, smiling when Jonah kisses him again. Jonah’s already been to the bathroom a few times since they got here just over an hour ago and Frank is puzzled as to why since he hasn’t even been drinking. “Can I come with you?” he asks. He has a feeling Jonah’s planning on doing more in there than just taking a piss...

Jonah laughs. “Fine, c’mon...” he says, taking Frank’s hand and leading him out of the main room and down the hall to the bathroom.

Frank’s starting to feel a bit sedated and more relaxed and he’s wondering if it’s the effects of the pill Jonah gave him that are starting to kick in. Jonah closes and locks the door behind them and then as Frank watches he takes out a little bag of white powder from his pocket, emptying a small amount of it out onto the bathroom counter before taking out a plastic card and forming the powder into a thin line.

“Is that cocaine?” asks Frank, watching as Jonah rolls up a bill.

“Yeah,” says Jonah just before leaning over and snorting the line of coke through the rolled up bill. 

“Can I try some?” 

“No fuckin’ way—not this stuff,” says Jonah, sniffing and rubbing his nose.

Frank sighs and pouts, frustrated because he just wants to be as high as Jonah is right now. Whatever pill he’d given him earlier isn’t doing shit except for making him feel sleepy. “Why does everyone think they need to protect me or some shit?” he asks.

Jonah smiles and puts his arms around Frank. “Don’t be upset... I just don’t want you to end up like me, okay? I like you too much to do that to you,” he says.

Frank smiles a bit and puts his arms around Jonah’s shoulders, pulling him in for a kiss. As they make out, Frank’s starting to feel good and even more sedated and contented. “What’d you give me earlier?” he asks.

“Xanax.”

Frank’s not even sure what that is but he’s feeling too relaxed right now to really care, especially with how Jonah’s kissing his neck now.

“You feelin’ it?”

“Yeah.”

“Like it?”

“It’s nice, yeah,” says Frank. “It’s making me sleepy.”

“Yeah, it’ll definitely do that,” says Jonah. “That’s why I sometimes do coke when I’m on xans; helps me stay awake.”

“I wanna go to bed...” says Frank, his voice trailing off as he puts his head against Jonah’s chest, feeling like he’s nodding off.

Jonah laughs and Frank feels the pleasant vibrations against his cheek. “I can walk you home in a bit so you can sleep. I have some stuff to sell first though,” he says.

Frank suddenly becomes alert again, feeling like he’s just been startled awake after almost falling asleep. “I meant I wanna go to bed _with you_.”

Jonah raises an eyebrow in surprise. “Like...you wanna sleep with me?” 

Frank nods and looks up at Jonah, just wanting him to make him feel good. “Want you to fuck me or whatever,” he says.

“Oh, shit, okay...” says Jonah with a little laugh. “If I’d known that then I wouldn’ta done so much coke; sometimes my dick doesn’t work when I’m on it.”

“What do you mean? Like, you can’t get hard?”

“Yeah. And sometimes I can get hard but I can’t come.”

“Oh...that sucks,” says Frank, a little disappointed.

“We can try though...” says Jonah. “D’you wanna chill at my place after this?”

“Yeah.” Frank nods.

After that, Jonah puts his coke stuff away and then they leave the bathroom. Jonah goes off to sell drugs to people while Frank stumbles his way through the house looking for Jamia and Chelsea. He can’t maintain his balance and feels like he’s about to fall over with each step he takes. He walks along the walls for support and then makes his way outside to the front of the house where he finds Jamia and Chelsea sharing a cigarette while they sit on the front steps. They look up when they hear Frank approaching behind them.

“Frankie?” Jamia says worriedly, immediately standing up and taking his hand, helping him to sit down with them on the steps. “Are you okay? What did you take?”

Frank laughs a bit and shrugs. “I’m good; Jonah gave me a xan.”

Jamia looks at Chelsea and they share a concerned look. 

“I’m gonna kick his ass,” says Jamia angrily. “Where is he?”

Frank shrugs. “I dunno. He’s working.”

Jamia rolls her eyes. “Yeah, ‘cause selling drugs is a fucking job,” she says. “Anyway, we’re leaving—and you’re coming with us.”

Frank’s brow furrows. “I’m not leaving—I’m going to Jonah’s place after this.”

“Frankie, you should just come with us, okay?” says Chelsea. “We’ll make sure you get home safe.”

“No. I’m staying.”

“He’s bad fucking news, Frank. Just come with us,” says Jamia, taking hold of Frank’s arm and trying to pull him up. 

“Don’t touch me,” says Frank, shaking himself free from Jamia’s grasp. “You can’t make me leave, okay? I can look out for myself.”

Jamia sighs and looks at Chelsea who then shrugs and shakes her head. 

“He’s right—we can’t make him,” says Chelsea. 

“Fine. Do what you want,” says Jamia, throwing her arms up frustratedly as she walks away down the steps.

“Stay safe, okay?” says Chelsea as she goes down the steps, following after her girlfriend.

Frank just nods and waves and then continues to sit there zoning out for God knows how long until Jonah comes to get him.

“Ready?” Jonah asks.

Frank looks up and nods, taking Jonah’s hand and standing up, almost falling over as he does.

“Whoa,” says Jonah as he grabs onto Frank’s waist, steadying him. “You good, bro?”

“Yeah,” says Frank, laughing a bit. “Let’s go.”

As they begin to walk, Frank feels his phone go off in his pocket. He takes it out and sees that he has a new text message from his mom. 

**Mom** : _where are you? when will you be home?_

“Shit...my mom’s asking when I’m coming home.”

“Just tell her you’re spendin’ the night at Jamia’s.”

Frank does exactly that and then his mom says to be safe and that she’ll see him in the morning. Jonah has his arm around Frank’s shoulder as they walk and soon they get to his place which is the basement suite in his parents’ house. They enter through the sliding door in the backyard and Jonah turns on the lights.

“Do your parents know you‘re a drug dealer?” asks Frank as they take off their shoes.

“I wouldn’t be livin’ here if they did.”

“You really think they’d kick you out if they knew?” 

“I _know_ they would.”

“How do they not know?”

“I only ever talk to ‘em when my rent’s due, so that helps,” says Jonah with a smirk. “C’mon,” he says, taking Frank’s hand and leading him to his bedroom.

The two of them lie in bed together and just make out for a while; Jonah leaves a lot of hickeys on Frank’s neck and chest after taking off the boy’s T-shirt. They’re both high and everything feels so dream-like and surreal to Frank who’s still feeling like he’s constantly nodding off and then waking up again. 

“Was your friend’s dad your first breakup?” asks Jonah after a while of them lying there and kissing.

Frank is caught off guard by the question and not even the drugs he’s taken can stop the pain he feels at the mention of Gerard. “Yeah,” he says. “I fucking miss him. A lot.”

“I can tell.”

“You can?”

Jonah nods. ”I know you been sad about him and that you’re just usin’ me for comfort,” he says.

Frank feels a pang of guilt. “I didn’t mean to...”

“It’s cool, Frankie. I’m not lookin’ for anything serious right now anyway; I’m just havin’ fun and helpin’ a friend get over his ex, so I don’t mind,” says Jonah. “Don’t it feel nice to just lie here and make out with someone? Kinda makes you not feel so alone.” 

Frank nods in agreement. “It does feel nice,” he says. “Have you ever had a hard breakup?”

“Yeah. I’ve gotten my heart broken a couple times.”

“When does it stop hurting?” Frank asks, desperately wanting to know when he can expect to start feeling normal again. “It’s already been four months.”

“In my experience, it stops when you let yourself have hope that you’ll be okay livin’ your life without the person. You have to believe that you’re gonna be okay one day.”

Frank sighs. “I’m definitely not there yet.”

“You’ll get there,” says Jonah. “I’m not gonna sleep with you, by the way.”

“Why not?”

“‘Cause I know you don’t really want to; you just wanna feel better. And it ain’t gonna help—trust me. I know from experience.”

Frank moves a bit closer to Jonah then and lays his head on his chest, sighing lightly. “You’re kinda sweet, Jonah.” 

Jonah chuckles. “You’re kinda sweet, too, Frankie.”

It’s not long before they pass out in the comfort of each other’s arms, and when they wake up in the morning they find that they’re still holding each other. Frank feels really groggy and tired as though he hasn’t even slept and Jonah chuckles when he sees the look on his face. 

“You good?” Jonah asks as Frank sits up next to him.

“Yeah, just tired.” Frank takes out his phone and sees that it’s almost noon already. “Shit,” he says when he realizes that he has a few missed calls from his mom and a few texts from both her and Jamia asking where he is and if he’s okay. 

“What?” asks Jonah sleepily.

“I gotta go before my mom reports me missing or something,” Frank says as he quickly gets out of bed and pulls his T-shirt back on. 

Jonah laughs a bit. “Aight,” he says, watching Frank get dressed. 

“I’ll text you later,” says Frank before he rushes out of the room and heads to the door to get his shoes on and leave. 

As soon as he’s outside he calls his mom.

“Frankie, I’ve been trying to reach you all morning. Where’ve you been?” Linda asks when she answers the phone.

“Hey, Mom,” says Frank. “Sorry—I slept in. I’m on my way home from Jamia’s now.”

“All right. I’m at work for another few hours but I’ll see you when I get home, okay?”

“Okay, see you later.”

“Love you, honey.”

“Love you, too, Mom.”

Frank hangs up the phone and sighs as he looks around. He’s not sure where he is; he’s not usually in this part of town. He opens the map on his phone and tries to figure out how to get home from here. As he walks he notices someone jogging ahead of him and he stops dead in his tracks because the man looks exactly like Gerard. Frank stares and the more he does the more certain he becomes that yeah, it’s him. Frank watches as Gerard slows down his pace and walks up to the front entrance of an apartment building where he scans his key against the sensor to unlock the door before opening it and walking in. 

Frank’s heart is pounding. He has to see him. Frank goes to the front entrance of the building and looks up Gerard’s last name and apartment number on the list. He waits for a while until someone comes along and lets their self in, quickly slipping into the building behind them. Frank takes the elevator up to Gerard’s floor and then gets out and walks to his apartment door. He knocks a few times and then takes a deep breath as he waits. He hears some shuffling inside and then the door opens.

Gerard is standing in the doorway wearing black athletic shorts and a grey short-sleeved shirt with a large wet spot down the front chest area. He has a white towel draped over his neck and his dark hair looks damp with sweat. He’s just staring at Frank and Frank is staring back at him and it seems as though both of them are taking a while to process that they’re really standing in front of each other again after four whole months of being apart. 

“Frankie,” Gerard says, finally breaking the silence as he still stares at the boy in disbelief.

Frank can’t help but to break out into a grin after Gerard speaks because now it finally feels real. Before he knows it, Gerard is taking his hand and pulling him towards himself, into the apartment, letting the door close behind them as he then takes Frank’s face into his hands and kisses him deeply...


	12. Chapter 12

Frank feels as though he’s floating among the clouds as Gerard is holding his face in his hands and kissing him passionately; his arms are just hanging limply at his sides because he honestly can’t even feel them right now with how pleasantly overwhelmed he is. Gerard’s tongue is exploring every corner of the boy’s mouth as they make out and at one point he sensually sucks Frank’s bottom lip into his mouth and gently pinches it between his teeth, making Frank grow weak in the knees. Gerard must have sensed Frank’s unsteadiness because soon his strong arms are firmly wrapping around his waist and pulling him close against his sweaty, muscular body as they kiss. 

Gerard’s lips move down to Frank’s neck and start kissing him there now and Frank closes his eyes and slowly begins to return into his body, acutely aware of the fact that this is really happening—he’s really being held and kissed by Gerard right now. Frank brings his arms up and wraps them around Gerard’s shoulders, holding the man close as his neck is being kissed so gently. 

“I missed you so much, baby boy,” Gerard whispers into the crook of Frank’s neck between kisses against his skin, holding him a little tighter as he speaks.

Frank smiles to himself, realizing how much he loves it when Gerard calls him that. “I missed you, too, Gerard,” he says. 

“How’d you even find me? How’d you get in here?” Gerard asks, just looking at Frank now. 

“I saw you finishing your run and letting yourself into this building. Then I found your name and apartment number on the list and followed someone inside.”

“Damn, you really are relentless,” says Gerard with a chuckle. He then takes Frank’s breath away when he suddenly grasps the back of the boy’s thighs and easily lifts him up, forcing Frank to tightly secure his legs around Gerard’s waist and his arms around his neck. 

“How do you weigh even less now?” says Gerard with a slightly concerned look on his face. “I think I’m gonna need to start cooking for you again.”

Frank smiles a bit as he looks down at Gerard while he’s being held up by the man’s strong arms. “I haven’t had much of an appetite lately; too sad,” he admits.

Gerard’s face falls a bit and he kisses Frank‘s lips delicately as he holds him up. “I’m so sorry I made you sad, baby,” he says softly, looking deep into Frank’s eyes with a look of sincere regret in his own.

Frank realizes that Gerard is blaming himself and it makes his heart hurt. “It wasn’t your fault...” he says. “And I’m not sad anymore now that I’m with you,” he adds, smiling. 

Gerard smiles back and carries Frank into the bedroom where he lays the boy down on his back on top of the bedsheets. He then leans over and lifts the hem of Frank’s hoodie, prompting Frank to lift his arms up above his head as Gerard pulls the garment off of him. Gerard then unbuttons and unzips Frank’s jeans and quickly pulls them down his legs like he can’t get him naked fast enough. Frank is enjoying the way Gerard is urgently undressing him and how his eyes are just glazed over and darkened with lust as he looks Frank’s body up and down. Frank can only imagine what Gerard is thinking while he’s taking off his boxers and biting his lower lip as he takes in the sight of Frank’s hard cock lying against his belly with a bead of clear pre-cum already glistening at the tip...

Gerard then lays his body down on top of Frank’s, between his legs, and Frank lets out a pleasant groan from the familiar heaviness of the man’s muscular body weighing his lighter, smaller one down into the mattress. Gerard’s skin feels warm and clammy from sweat; Frank loves feeling the sweat soaking into his own bare skin, making them feel like one. He reaches down to grasp the hem of Gerard’s shirt so he can pull it off, exposing the sexy rock-hard pecs and abs that make him feel a rush of blood to his cock; making it even harder than it is already. Frank threads his fingers through Gerard’s sweat-dampened hair and pulls him down for a long, passionate kiss. As they make out Gerard is firmly rolling his hips against Frank’s; rubbing his hard cock against his; dry-humping him; making the boy feel so needy for the real thing...

Gerard suddenly stops kissing Frank and just pauses and looks down at him for a moment with an expression of pure awe on his face. “You’re so fucking beautiful, Frankie,” he says sincerely.

Frank blushes from the sweetness of Gerard’s compliment. “Thank you...daddy,” he says softly, feeling a little embarrassed as he’s not sure if Gerard is still into the role playing they used to do during sex.

But, Gerard just smiles and kisses Frank hard on the mouth, clearly still into Frank calling him “daddy” as he begins dry-humping Frank again, making the boy moan lightly into his mouth from the pleasurable friction being created between their bodies. After some time of driving Frank crazy by rubbing their bodies together, Gerard moves downwards in the bed so that he’s lying between Frank’s legs with his face positioned right above his attentive cock. Frank bends his knees and pulls them back into his chest as he makes eye contact with Gerard through his spread-open legs. Gerard then begins placing soft, open-mouth kisses all over Frank’s hips and lower stomach, gently sucking on his skin as he does, leaving marks—claiming him. 

“Are you mine, baby?” asks Gerard between wet kisses against Frank’s skin, still looking up at him from between his spread legs. “Are you daddy’s boy?”

Frank squirms pleasantly from Gerard’s touch and from the intense anticipation he feels. “Yes,” he says breathily, nodding as he looks down at Gerard.

“Tell me,” Gerard orders, now moving his lips down to kiss Frank’s inner thighs, beginning to leave a cluster of cherry-coloured love-marks on the soft skin there as well.

“I’m yours, daddy,” says Frank, half-moaning now from how close Gerard’s lips are getting to his hole as he lies there with his legs spread open and pulled back into his chest. “I’m daddy’s boy,” he says, loving how sexy it sounds when he says it out loud like that.

“Damn right you are,” says Gerard with a flash of darkness in his eyes as he glances up at the red hickeys lining Frank’s neck and chest. “You can tell whoever left those marks on you that no one fucking touches you but me...” he says, looking at Frank again now.

“Yes, daddy,” says Frank, moaning lightly when Gerard puts his hands on the backs of his thighs and pushes them back even more, spreading him wide open. He’d totally forgotten about the hickeys Jonah had given him last night and he’s sort of shook that Gerard had commented on them. But, at the same times he finds it so sexy how possessive the man is being of him right now, claiming him by leaving his own marks on his body. 

“God, your hole is so fucking pretty, baby...” Gerard whispers, just staring down at it for a moment.

Frank moans again, louder this time, when Gerard begins to softly and teasingly press soft, wet kisses against his tight, sensitive hole. He feels his cock twitch as another rush of blood engorges it even more, causing more sticky, clear pre-cum to leak out from the tip. “Daddy, that feels so good...” Frank says breathily, wrapping one hand around his cock now and beginning to jerk himself off.

Gerard reaches up and pulls Frank’s hand away from his cock, then taking both of the boy’s hands in his and firmly and scoldingly holding them down at his sides. “You can get yourself off when I tell you to,” he says.

Frank smirks a bit as he looks down at Gerard through his legs because he’s loving how dominant the man is being towards him right now. “Yes, daddy,” Frank says obediently.

“Good boy,” says Gerard, smirking a bit as he lets go of Frank’s hands before sucking one of his own fingers into his mouth, getting it wet with saliva.

Frank arches his back and squirms around a bit when he feels Gerard’s saliva-moistened finger begin to firmly press into his tight little opening. He hasn’t had anything up there since the last time he and Gerard had slept together four months ago, so he’s definitely more tight and sensitive there now than he was then, which Gerard is just finding out now.

“You stopped using your butt plug,” Gerard comments, not even asking because he can just tell that’s the case by how tight Frank is as he slowly moves one finger in and out of his little hole. “Gonna have to train your hole again,” he says.

Gerard soon pushes a second saliva-slick finger into Frank’s tight hole and then Frank feels yet another rush of blood to his rock-hard cock which is now throbbing against his belly from how badly he needs to get off. Frank now has his eyes closed and he’s half-moaning half-whimpering because while it feels so good being filled up like this again, he also feels a slight burning sensation down there as he’s getting used to the feeling of being stretched out again after so long.

“You okay, baby boy?” asks Gerard gently, still slowly moving his two fingers in and out of Frank’s hole.

“Yeah, just...slowly, daddy...please,” says Frank breathily, tightly gripping the bedsheets.

“Okay, sweetheart,” says Gerard softly, beginning to place wet, open-mouth kisses all over Frank’s inner thighs again as he continues to finger him slowly. 

Frank’s not sure how long Gerard spends down there between his legs getting him all loosened up, but after a while there’s no more pain and all he wants is to feel Gerard’s cock inside of him—especially when the man’s fingertips begin to brush against his prostate, making him moan from how good it feels and causing his cock to leak pre-cum even more profusely. 

“Daddy... _fuck_ , that’s good,” Frank moans as Gerard fingers him more quickly and deeply now as he can tell that Frank is feeling more comfortable.

“Yeah? Is your pretty hole ready to take daddy’s cock now?” asks Gerard teasingly as he looks up at Frank with a little smirk on his face, probably knowing full well that Frank is more than ready for him.

“Yes, daddy,” Frank says, nodding eagerly as he looks down at Gerard. “Please give it to me...” he says.

Frank groans pleasantly when he feels Gerard pull his fingers out of him and then he’s a little puzzled when the man gets up from the bed, wearing just his workout shorts, and heads out through the open bedroom door for a moment. He returns quickly, carrying a ceramic mug in his hands. 

“C’mere,” says Gerard, nodding his head in the direction of the en-suite bathroom which he then enters. After flicking the light on he sets the mug down on the bathroom countertop, pulls down his shorts and underwear and then waits for Frank to join him.

Frank gets up from the bed and joins Gerard the bathroom. “What is that?” he asks, looking into the mug which is a quarter-full of light-yellow liquid. He notices that the liquid has a sweet, nutty, cherry-like scent to it. “It smells amazing,” he comments. 

“It’s sweet almond oil,” says Gerard as he dips the fingers of one hand into the mug and begins to coat his large, hard cock with the oily, sweet-smelling liquid. “I don’t have any actual lube right now; wasn’t expecting to need any. I just think you’re too tight for me to fuck you with only spit this time,” he continues.

“Okay,” says Frank, just dazedly watching Gerard coat his cock with the sweet almond oil. It’s been so long since he’s seen the man’s cock and he feels just as amazed by the size of it as he was the first time he‘d seen it.

“Bend over; put your elbows on the counter,” Gerard instructs. 

Frank does as Gerard says and then watches as the man dips his fingers into the sweet oil again and rubs the lubricant right onto his hole this time, slipping two fingers into him as he does, getting some of the oil inside him. Frank moans from the feeling of being filled up again and he looks at Gerard through the bathroom mirror, noticing that the man had already been watching him with a slight smirk on his face.

“I want your dick inside me, daddy...” says Frank seductively, biting his lip, trying to look as sexy as he can for Gerard, knowing that he’s probably going to be watching him the entire time through the mirror. He wonders to himself if that’s why Gerard had brought him in here...

“Yeah?” says Gerard as he begins to teasingly rub the head of his oil-slick cock against Frank’s waiting hole. “You want daddy to stretch this hole out?”

Frank feels a shiver of arousal pass through his body as he nods while moaning from the sexy feeling of Gerard rubbing himself against his hole. “Yes, daddy,” he moans, staring intensely at Gerard through the mirror as he feels the man begin to press his cock into him now. Frank can definitely can tell how much tighter his hole is now by how long it takes Gerard to finally get the head of his cock inside him, and when he does, it’s definitely uncomfortable for Frank who gasps sharply and reaches back with one hand to push against Gerard’s closest hip, not letting the man move any further.

“You okay, sweet boy? Did I hurt you?” asks Gerard, sounding concerned as he comfortingly rubs his hands up and down Frank’s back while he holds still inside of him. He affectionately ruffles Frank’s hair and it helps the boy to focus on something else besides the pain.

“Yeah, it hurts a bit...just go slow...” says Frank, looking up at Gerard through the mirror again.

Gerard nods. “Of course, baby,” he says. He then dips his fingers into the mug of oil again, drizzling some more of it around Frank’s hole and onto his own dick. “Just let me know when you’re ready; take your time,” he says, continuing to rub Frank’s back now.

Frank has both of his elbows resting on the countertop again and he’s enjoying the way Gerard is massaging his back as he patiently gives him time to get used to the intense stretching sensation caused by his cock being inside of him. A few minutes later Frank is feeling more adjusted and he looks up at Gerard and tells him that he can keep going now.

Gerard has his left hand on Frank’s left hip and his right hand is guiding his cock into Frank’s tight hole, carefully watching his facial expressions through the mirror for any sign that he should stop. Frank is taking this well now though without any more pain; he’s loving the familiar, intense feeling of being stretched out and filled up. He still can’t really believe that this is actually happening; that he’s really with Gerard again. It feels surreal and it makes him smile.

“What are you smiling about?” asks Gerard with a smile on his own face as he watches Frank through the mirror. He’s got his cock almost all the way inside the boy now and Frank can tell by his body language that he’s having a hard time going so slowly with how good the tightness feels around his length. 

“I just can’t believe this is actually happening,” says Frank, shaking his head a bit. “That you’re here with me again,” he says. 

“Neither can I,” Gerard admits, then sliding the last couple of inches of his cock into Frank’s hole, making the boy moan from the intense pleasure of his prostate being suddenly stimulated. 

“Fuck, you’re so deep, Gerard...” Frank says breathily, looking up at the man’s concentrating expression through the mirror.

Gerard slowly pulls out a bit and then pushes back into Frank, quickly creating a steady rhythm of thrusting his cock in and out of the boy, making him moan more needily each time. 

“Goddamn, your hole feels so nice, Frankie,” says Gerard breathily, tightly gripping both of Frank’s hips now as he thrusts into him repeatedly. “I can tell I’m not gonna last long...”

Frank’s not sure if he can even talk right now with how fucking good Gerard’s cock feels inside of him, stretching him out, hitting his prostate over and over again, making him feel like he’s about to come every single time... He’s closing his eyes and moaning disjointedly while Gerard is fucking into him with increasing speed.

“Baby, open your eyes; look at me,” says Gerard needily as he continues to repeatedly pound his cock into Frank’s hole.

Frank opens his eyes and looks up at Gerard through the mirror again as he’s getting fucked. He bites his lip as he moans, still not breaking eye contact with Gerard, loving how intensely the man is staring back at him as he’s giving him his king-sized cock.

“Gonna come inside this pretty hole, baby...” says Gerard intensely.

Frank feels the man’s body go rigid and then watches as his eyes slip shut as his orgasm ripples through his body, causing it to shudder rhythmically as the boy feels his hole being filled up with his warm cum.

“Fuck, that was amazing,” says Gerard as he pulls out and spins Frank around to face him. “You’re amazing, Frankie,” he says, kissing Frank hard on the lips before dropping to his knees in front of the boy and taking his rock-hard, pre-cum-covered cock into his mouth.

Frank immediately moans from how good it feels when Gerard begins to easily deep-throat his cock; the man’s mouth and throat feel so warm and wet and he already feels so close to coming. He looks down at Gerard to find that once again the man is already looking up at him. Frank finds it so sexy watching Gerard on his knees for him with his mouth full of his cock; he’s not used to seeing him in such a submissive position and it turns him on so much.

“Daddy, I’m gonna come...” Frank says suddenly, feeling that familiar, pleasant and warm sensation begin building deep inside of him. 

Gerard just keeps sucking Frank off and looking up at him until Frank begins to blow his load right into his mouth, his body shuddering and jolting slightly as he moans from the intensity of his orgasm.

“Oh my fucking God, Gerard...” Frank says breathily, panting heavily as the man gets back onto his feet. Frank wraps his arms around Gerard’s shoulders and then pulls him in for a long kiss, smiling into it as he feels Gerard wrap his strong arms around his waist, pulling him closer.

“Take a shower with me?” Gerard asks eventually after he pulls back. “I definitely need one after my run and you probably don’t wanna go home smelling like almonds...”

“You don’t need to convince me,” says Frank, smiling.

Gerard starts up the shower and then gets in with Frank right behind him, pulling back the shower curtain as he does. “Sorry, I know this isn’t as comfortable as the shower at my old place,” he says. 

Frank shrugs and shakes his head. “This is totally fine,” he says, intently watching Gerard wash his muscular body with shower gel from the bottle that’s sitting on the edge of the tub. 

Gerard finishes bathing and washing his hair and then to Frank’s pleasant surprise Gerard starts to wash his body, too, taking his time with washing between his asscheeks; feeling his stretched-out hole. Frank gives Gerard a soft kiss on the mouth when the man is done washing him and Gerard looks at Frank curiously once they part.

“So, you’ve been seeing someone...” Gerard comments as he brings one of his hands up to gently glide across the dark-red marks on Frank’s neck and chest. 

Frank blushes and tries to brush it off by saying, “We were just fooling around; it didn’t mean anything. I was just really lonely and sad and so was he. We just made out—that’s all.” 

Gerard looks uncomfortable. “Who is this guy anyway? How old is he? How’d you meet him? What does he do for work?” he questions. 

Frank smiles. “Gerard, chill, okay? You‘re acting like you’re my actual dad right now with the twenty questions,” he says. “Jonah’s just a friend.” 

“I’m not gonna “chill” until I know more about this “friend” who you’ve obviously been close with. I’m just curious to know what kind of person you’ve been spending your time with lately.” 

Frank sighs, realizing that Gerard is never gonna drop this topic until he gets answers. “His name is Jonah, he’s twenty-three and I met him at a fundraiser at this bar I was at with Jamia and her girlfriend the night we broke up.” 

“I’ll ask again: what does he do for work?” Gerard says, not letting Frank dodge the question.

“He’s, uh...he’s a salesman,” says Frank vaguely.

Gerard raises an eyebrow skeptically. “What does he sell?” he asks.

“Uh...pills and weed,” says Frank quickly, immediately looking down at his feet in shame afterwards. 

Gerard looks stunned and he abruptly turns off the shower. “You’ve been seeing a goddamn drug dealer? What is wrong with you, Frankie? Please tell me he hasn’t let you try that shit...”

“There’s nothing wrong with me—I was fucking depressed and lonely and Jonah just...made me feel better,” Frank says defensively, shrugging a bit. “And I’ve smoked weed since before I even met him, you know. He did let me try a pill last night but I didn’t even like it that much; it just made me sleepy.”

“Baby, why would you do that?” Gerard asks gently, sounding concerned as he takes one of Frank’s wet hands in his. “Whatever you took could have been cut with fentanyl or something—too many young people are dying from overdoses that way lately.” 

“I dunno...” says Frank with a shrug, realizing the danger of what he’d done but feeling kind of invincible. “I was feeling reckless, I guess. What I took was just something called Xanax anyway...and Jonah only gave me a quarter of a pill.”

“That’s _exactly_ the type of pill that’s sometimes cut with bad shit—and it doesn’t matter how much or how little of that stuff you take; it’s all bad,” says Gerard. “Promise me you’ll never touch that stuff again unless it’s prescribed to you by a doctor and given to you by a pharmacist.”

“Okay—I promise,” says Frank, nodding.

“Good,” says Gerard, sounding relieved as he wraps his arms around Frank’s small body again, holding him close. “‘Cause I don’t know what I would do if something happened to you. I can’t lose you again, baby—that shit was pretty unbearable.”

Frank closes his eyes and hugs Gerard back, realizing that he really could have died if he’d taken any bad drugs last night—and Jonah could have as well. Gerard eventually pulls back and then they both step out of the tub and get dressed before lying down in bed together, with Frank comfortably resting his head on Gerard’s firm, rising and falling chest.

“How’ve you been?” asks Frank, tilting his chin up to look at Gerard as they lie there together. “How’s Mikey doing?” he asks.

Gerard sighs, looking up at the ceiling. “Well, things were pretty shitty for me for a while there,” he says. “I had to find a new place to live between working full time, having meetings with my divorce lawyer and dealing with angry phone calls from Lindsey. Mikey wasn’t talking to me at all. And, on top of all of that, I was missing you to death. It was hell,” he says. “Things have been better now that the divorce is finalized and I’m all settled into this place, but Mikey still isn’t talking to me—not at all. It’s really upsetting.”

“I’m so sorry, Gerard...” says Frank softly, sensing that Gerard is still feeling a lot of pain from what had happened. Frank can’t help but to feel guilty about being a main cause of the divorce and of Mikey not talking to Gerard.

Gerard shakes his head. “It’s not your fault,” he says. “It’s just frustrating that the only reason I agreed to stop seeing you that night was so that he would still talk to me, and now it turns out it didn’t even fucking matter either way. I have a feeling Lindsey has something to do with him shutting me out which frustrates me even more.”

“God, that’s terrible...” says Frank empathetically. “But there’s no way you could have known Mikey wouldn’t talk to you either way.”

“I know. But still...it just upsets me,” says Gerard, shaking his head. He sighs. “Anyway, how’ve _you_ been?” he asks.

“I haven’t been doing great either—well, until now,” says Frank. “After we broke up I could barely get out of bed for like a month. My mom even took a month off work to stay at home with me because she thought I was gonna kill myself. I started feeling better after spending more time with her at home instead of being in my room by myself all the time, and then I also started hanging out with my friends more. That’s when I started seeing Jonah.”

Gerard shakes his head. “Damn, I hate to think about you feeling so sad, baby,” says Gerard, kissing the top of Frank’s head. “I’m so glad we’re together again.”

“Me too,” says Frank.

Gerard clears his throat a bit then. “So...about this Jonah kid—is you two hanging out gonna be an ongoing thing? I mean, you said you’re “just friends” so I have to ask.”

“I’m obviously not gonna be spending time alone with him anymore, but he’s friends with Jamia and Chelsea, too, so I can’t really help it if he shows up while I’m hanging out with them,” says Frank. 

Gerard nods. “Just make sure he knows that you’re one hundred percent off-limits now, okay?”

“Of course. I’m your boy, remember?” says Frank, smiling up at Gerard endearingly.

Gerard chuckles lightly and kisses Frank softly on the lips. “It’s not you I’m worried about, baby; it’s him. I’m not usually the jealous type but for some reason I just feel that way with you,” he admits. “I just want you all to myself.”

Frank blushes. “You know I’m yours, Gerard,” he says sweetly.

Gerard smiles. “I love you so much, baby,” he says sincerely, kissing Frank’s forehead.

Frank feels his insides go all soft when he hears Gerard say those words to him again after so long. “I love you, too,” he says warmly, smiling as he nuzzles himself a little bit closer to Gerard’s warm and comforting body.

“Is your mom expecting you home any time soon?” Gerard asks.

“Yeah, she is, actually...” says Frank. “I didn’t come home last night so I know she’s anxious to see me.”

“You didn’t go home? Where were you?”

“I spent the night at Jonah’s...” says Frank, looking up at Gerard to see what his reaction is, worried he’ll be upset. But, Gerard doesn’t give anything away.

“Did you two sleep in the same bed?”

“Yeah,” says Frank. “Are you upset?”

Gerard looks puzzled. “Why would I be upset? It’s not like you knew you were gonna run into me today and that we’d get back together. I understand that you probably just... _needed_ someone when I wasn’t there...” he says. 

“Thanks for understanding,” says Frank. “I can’t help feeling kinda guilty about it now though.” 

“Well, you don’t need to feel that way, Frankie. I’m sorry if I came off a bit intensely with all the questions; I was just feeling jealous and possessive and protective of you. I don’t even know why I was asking in the first place as if knowing the answers was gonna make me feel any better about you kissing another guy and sleeping in the same bed with him and letting him leave marks all over your neck...”

“I promise I’ll talk to him later and tell him that whatever we were doing before is over,” says Frank.

“Later as in tonight?”

“Yeah, tonight.”

“Okay,” says Gerard, sounding slightly relieved. “Is that gonna be hard for you?”

“No. Like I said: we’re just friends. It wasn’t anything serious at all.”

Gerard nods and it seems like there’s something else he wants to say, but then Frank’s phone goes off signalling a new text message and Gerard doesn’t say anything more after that. Frank takes his phone out of his pocket and sees that the message is from Jamia.

 **Jamia** : _are you okay??? where are you??? i haven’t heard from you since last night and jonah said u left his place an hour ago. please call me, i’m worried..._

“Shit, I never texted her back...” Frank says to himself, realizing that he‘d only replied to the texts his mom had sent him earlier.

 **Frank** : _ahh i’m so sorry! i’m okay. i’ll call u in a bit i’m just busy atm!_

“Are you hungry?” asks Gerard after Frank puts his phone back into his pocket. “I can make you something to eat before you go.”

Frank smiles. “Yeah, that’d be great. Thank you,” he says, kissing Gerard yet again. 

Soon they both get up from the bed and Gerard takes Frank’s hand and leads him out into the cozy but open living room and kitchen area. Gerard brings the boy over to the small dining table just off of the kitchen and pulls a chair out for him, prompting Frank to sit down just before Gerard easily tucks the chair back under the table with him sitting in it.

“Want a drink while you wait?” asks Gerard, going into the kitchen now. Frank is glad that he’s able to watch the man from his spot at the table. “I’ve got tea, coffee, orange juice, almond milk, water...” he lists off.

“I’ll have some orange juice, please,” says Frank. He then thanks Gerard after he sets down a full glass of juice in front of him.

“How does grilled cheese sound?” asks Gerard as he returns the carton of orange juice to the fridge. 

“That sounds great,” says Frank, growing hungrier by the minute just from thinking about eating. 

Gerard cooks and Frank watches him, taking in how surreal it still feels that they’re here like this together. Frank tries not to think about the fact that he has to be home in a couple of hours to allow his mom the satisfaction of basically proving that he’s alive by seeing him with her own eyes after almost twenty-four hours of him being out of the house. 

As Frank watches Gerard in the kitchen he notices that the man seems to love cooking and that he’s good at it, too; Frank is surprised by the way the knife looks like a blur against the cutting board as he’s chopping up onions like a pro and by the way he then impressively flips them in the pan as they caramelize. He also realizes that Gerard is putting a few more ingredients into this grilled cheese sandwich than simply just bread and cheese and butter, which he‘s also surprised by. 

After what feels like no time at all, Gerard presents Frank with the most appetizing grilled cheese sandwich that he has ever seen. “It’s not a traditional grilled cheese sandwich, but I think you’ll like it. It’s cooked in rosemary butter and inside of it there’s caramelized onions and three different types of cheeses,” Gerard says, now sitting down next to Frank at the table with a protein shake in from of him.

“Well, it looks and smells amazing. Thank you so much.”

“You’re welcome, Frankie.”

Frank takes a bite of the sandwich and is instantly blown away by how good it tastes. “Oh my God, this is amazing,” he says after swallowing the first bite. “I think this is the best grilled cheese I’ve ever had.”

Gerard chuckles. “I’m glad you like it,” he says. “You know, if you moved in with me I could cook for you like this every day...”

Frank smiles, feeling flattered that Gerard is talking about living with him. “I would love that so much,” he says longingly. “I doubt my mom would like the idea of us living together though...”

“She definitely wouldn’t be okay with it at first, but I think once she sees how happy you are here with me she’d come around eventually. Something to think about, I guess...”

“Well, yeah; living with you is pretty much _all_ I’m gonna be thinking about now...” says Frank dreamily, making Gerard smile.

Frank finishes his sandwich while Gerard drinks his post-workout protein shake and afterwards they talk until it’s time for Frank to head home. 

“When can I see you again?” asks Gerard as they’re standing at his front door.

“Tomorrow, please?” asks Frank hopefully.

Gerard chuckles a bit. “Yeah, of course. You can come by whenever you want tomorrow; just call me or text me first.”

“Okay,” says Frank, unable to contain his smile—he’s just so happy to be with Gerard again. “I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

Gerard nods and then envelopes Frank in a tight, warm hug which Frank never wants to end because he feels so contented being held in the man’s strong arms. They eventually part though and after a goodbye kiss, Frank goes out the door and heads home.

Frank gets home from Gerard’s place five minutes before his mom gets home from work and he’s relieved that he doesn’t have to explain to her why he’s just getting home now. Frank is in his bedroom lying down on his bed as he’s on his phone when his mom knocks on his door.

“Come in!” Frank calls out.

Linda opens the door and smiles when she sees that her is son safely back home. “Hey, how was your night out with your friends?” she asks, leaning against the doorframe dressed in light-blue scrubs.

“It was fun,” says Frank vaguely, not really wanting to go into any detail. “How was your shift?”

“Quite the opposite of fun...” says Linda with a sigh. She then narrows her eyes, peering curiously at the dark-red hickeys on Frank’s neck. “Did a boy do that to you?” she asks.

Frank blushes, embarrassed that he’d forgotten to hide the marks on his skin. “Uh, yeah...” he admits.

Linda raises an eyebrow. “Someone you’ve been seeing?”

“Yeah, but not anymore. We decided to just be friends.”

“Oh, okay,” says Linda, sounding like she’s relieved to hear that her son isn’t seeing anyone so soon after Gerard.

“Hey, I’m gonna call Jamia now. Can I get a minute, please?” asks Frank, just eager to get off of this topic with his mom.

“Yeah, sure. I’m gonna go take a shower and relax. I’ll see you later,” Linda says before shutting the door and walking away down the hall to her bedroom.

Frank calls Jamia right after his mom leaves and his friend picks up right away. 

“Finally—I’ve been so worried about you!” Jamia exclaims when she answers the phone call. “Like, I left you basically falling over at that party last night and then both you and Jonah were ignoring my texts this morning...”

“Sorry—we didn’t wake up til like noon which is when I saw your messages,” says Frank.

“Okay...and now it’s three,” says Jamia, sounding like she’s expecting an explanation of some sort. “When I talked to Jonah he said you left his place like right after you woke up.”

“I...got a bit sidetracked on the way home,” says Frank, smiling to himself as he recalls how he’d spotted Gerard going into his apartment building earlier.

“What does that mean?” asks Jamia. “Why do I have a feeling you have something juicy to tell me?”

Frank laughs. “Because I _do_ ,” he says.

“Well, _spill_!” she demands.

“I ran into Gerard on my way home,” Frank reveals.

Jamia gasps. “Oh my God! Shut up!” she exclaims. “How the hell did that happen? Tell me everything!” she says excitedly.

Frank laughs again. “I just happened to see him out for a run as I was on my way home from Jonah’s place. I saw what building he went into and then I just...sneaked in behind someone, went up to his apartment and knocked on the door.”

“Holy shit...” says Jamia, sounding intrigued. “So, how’d he react when he saw you standing at his frickin’ door?” she asks interestedly.

“At first we just stared at each other and then he just said my name and I broke out into this dumbass grin and he pulled me inside and we started kissing and he told me how much he missed me...” Frank rambles. “Then we fucked and it was...well, it was pretty amazing. I still can’t believe that all just happened. I’m like...buzzing.”

“Oh my fucking God, I _bet_ you are,” says Jamia. “So, you guys are like a thing again?”

“Yeah,” says Frank with a smile in his voice. “He even mentioned wanting me to move in with him,” he says excitedly.

“Aww, Frankie,” says Jamia. “It’s making me wanna cry how happy you are right now.” 

“I haven’t felt this happy since the last time I saw him,” says Frank, dreamily looking up at his bedroom ceiling.

“I have to ask though: does he know about Jonah?”

“Yeah, he knows,” says Frank. “I’m obviously gonna stop seeing him now.”

“When are you gonna tell him that?”

Frank’s stomach churns when he thinks about the conversation he has to have with Jonah tonight. He recalls answering “no” when Gerard had asked him if it’s going to be hard for him to tell Jonah that they have to stop hanging out like they have been—now he’s not so sure how easy it’s going to be for him...

“I’m planning on telling him tonight. Speaking of, I should probably text him to see what time he can meet up with me at...”

“Okay,” says Jamia. “Well, let me know how it goes and everything.”

“Yeah, for sure,” says Frank.

The two friends end their conversation and Frank sends Jonah a text message immediately afterwards.

 **Frank** : _hey, can u meet me sometime tonight? there’s just something i wanna talk to u about in person_

Frank doesn’t have to wait long for a response from Jonah.

 **Jonah** : _yea of course what time_

 **Frank** : _how’s 8?_

 **Jonah** : _sounds good should i meet u at ur house_

 **Frank** : _yeah, that works. i’ll see u then_

 **Jonah** : _cya_

Frank feels anxious throughout the rest of the evening as eight o’ clock approaches. He’s not sure why he’s feeling this way; he definitely hadn’t anticipated it. When the time finally comes, Jonah texts him to let him know he’s outside the house and then Frank goes to meet him. 

Outside, Jonah’s leaning against the side of his red sports car which is parked along the street. He’s wearing a black hoodie with the hood pulled up over his short, bright-pink hair and he’s smoking a cigarette which he tosses to the ground and smushes under the sole of one of his black sneakers when he sees Frank approaching. Frank has to stop himself from thinking about how attractive Jonah is as he walks up to him and he instantly feels guilty for even thinking it in the first place. 

“Hey,” says Jonah, standing up straight now as Frank stands in front of him. “So...what’s up?” he asks curiously, probably wondering why Frank isn’t going in for a hug right now like he always does when they see each other.

“Uh, I just thought you should know that I got back together with Gerard today,” says Frank. “So, whatever it is we’ve been doing has to stop.”

Jonah pauses for a second as he takes in what Frank has just told him and then he sighs and looks down at his feet for a moment before speaking. “Damn, okay...that hurt a lot more than I expected it to,” he says, his facial expression looking as though he’s going through all seven stages of grief within the span of seven seconds.

“I’m sorry...” says Frank. 

Jonah shrugs a bit. “Ah, it’s whatever, Frankie—I get it,” he says. “I ain’t gonna lie though; I’m really gonna miss “whatever it is we’ve been doing.””

“So am I,” Frank admits. “You made being sad bearable for me, so...thank you.”

Jonah smiles. “You made bein’ _alive_ bearable for me, so, thank you for that, I guess?” he says. 

Frank can feel his heart breaking silently, feeling terribly that Jonah is just going to be left on his own and probably even more sad now. 

“We still friends?” asks Jonah.

“Yeah, of course,” Frank replies quickly, nodding. “Just not...”

“...not friends with benefits,” Jonah finishes with a smirk.

“Yeah, right,” says Frank, nodding and chuckling awkwardly. “Hey, speaking of...thanks for not just...’going for it’ last night by the way. I thought that was really cool of you.”

“Ah, don’t mention it—it was just the decent thing to do. It was super chill just gettin’ to sleep next to you, honestly,” says Jonah, making Frank blush a little. “You have the cutest li’l snore...” he says, starting to laugh a bit.

At first Frank can’t help but to smile, too, even though he’s a little embarrassed that Jonah had heard him snoring, but then—to Frank’s surprise and horror—he begins to cry. It starts as just his eyes welling up and then eventually he’s softly crying into Jonah’s hoodie, clinging to the dark fabric as the other embraces him.

“What’d I say?” asks Jonah concernedly as he rubs comforting, invisible circles onto Frank’s back as he holds him.

Frank sniffs. “Why do you have to be so fucking sweet?” he asks frustratedly, his voice coming out slightly muffled as he speaks into Jonah’s hoodie.

Jonah laughs lightly. “Why you sound irritated with me for bein’ “sweet”? Ain’t that a positive trait to most people?”

“You’re just...complicating things.”

“How am I “complicating things”?” asks Jonah, gently pushing against Frank’s shoulders so that the boy takes a step back, allowing Jonah to see his face. “You mean you have feelings for me?” he asks softly.

Frank’s heart is racing and his stomach is churning and he’s fighting an internal battle: on one hand he wants to admit that he does have feelings for Jonah and on the other hand he feels angry at himself and guilty about the way he feels. Frank feels like his own heart is betraying Gerard and like he can’t even do anything about it except for to suppress his true feelings. It’s not like he isn’t insanely in love with Gerard—he _is_ , more than anything—but he can’t deny the chemistry that he and Jonah have together and the way that Jonah seems to genuinely like him and care about him.

“Frankie?” Jonah says, snapping Frank out of his consuming thoughts and bringing him back into the present moment. “Tell me now, ‘cause I been feelin’ things for you... I could just go on pretendin’ like I’m cool with you goin’ back to your man and us just bein’ friends, but let’s be real; I’ve been into you since the first night we met.”

Frank feels even more mixed up in his heart now that Jonah has admitted his feelings for him. He feels like anything he does now is going to be the wrong thing; he doesn’t know what to do. He really just wants to talk to Jamia right now.

Jonah just smiles somewhat sadly and pulls Frank into a hug when the boy doesn’t respond. “You don’t gotta answer if it’s easier for you that way,” he says gently. “If I can just say one thing, it’s this: you ain’t ever stuck in a situation no matter how invested in it you tell yourself you are. You always got the freedom to change your mind; you’re only human—that’s what we do. Havin’ feelings for me ain’t nothin’ to feel guilty about or ashamed of, Frankie. You can let yourself feel them. It’s _okay_.”

Frank shakes his head and suddenly pulls away from Jonah’s embrace, deciding that he can’t allow himself to face this truth; he can’t handle the guilt that he’d feel if he did. “I don’t have feelings for you, Jonah,” he says, feeling more tears stinging at his eyes as he lies.

Jonah shrugs indifferently but Frank can see the pain in his eyes. “Aight, whatever,” he says. The two of them just stand there in silence for a while as Frank dries his eyes with one of the sleeves of his hoodie until Jonah speaks again. “You good?” he asks carefully.

“No, not really,” Frank admits, shaking his head. 

“See what I meant now ‘bout feelin’ numb?”

“Yeah, definitely...” says Frank, not enjoying how mixed up he feels right now. “I wish I didn’t have any feelings at all right now.”

Jonah sighs. “Y’know, I just want you to be happy, Frankie. You deserve that. And if Gerard makes you happy, then I guess I just gotta take the L.” 

“He does make me happy,” says Frank firmly, not sure which one of them he’s trying to convince.

“Aight, cool,” says Jonah, shrugging again and looking absolutely gutted. “Guess I’ll see you around then...” he says with a quick little wave of his hand. He then turns and walks around to the other side of the vehicle where he opens the driver’s side door and gets in before starting up the fast-sounding engine. 

Frank stands there in front of his house with the cold, winter air nipping at his fingertips, watching as Jonah revs the car’s engine a few times before speeding off down the street. Now that he’s alone, Frank feels...well, he’s really not sure how he feels anymore, if he’s being honest.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for over 5K views! I love you guys! 😭❤️

“Morning, baby,” Gerard says sweetly as Frank finally stirs awake in bed next to him.

Frank opens his eyes and smiles when he sees Gerard lying on his side facing him. He notices that his lover is already dressed and that his hair is damp, meaning that he’s already started his day while Frank has been sleeping in.

“Good morning,” Frank says groggily, shifting around in bed and stretching out his naked body beneath the blankets. “How was your run?”

“It was great, thanks,” Gerard replies, lightly stroking Frank’s cheek with the back of his hand a couple times, just admiring him. “Can you please get up now? It’s already nine-thirty and I wanna spend some time with you before you have to leave.”

“Nine-thirty? That’s soo early...” Frank says playfully, smiling as he stretches his body out again.

Gerard smiles as he watches his adorable boyfriend. “C’mon, Frankie—up,” he says, standing before pulling the blankets off of the boy, exposing his beautiful, naked body.

“Fine—but only ‘cause I love you,” Frank says sweetly as he sits up at the edge of the bed.

Gerard chuckles and leans over to kiss Frank softly on the lips as he tilts the boy’s chin upwards. “That’s a pretty good reason,” he says afterwards.

Gerard then goes out into the main room while Frank goes into the bathroom to take a quick shower. Underneath the hot, steady stream of water Frank washes the dried sweat and body fluids off of his skin from last night when he and Gerard had fucked twice—once in the kitchen with Frank bent over the dining table and once on the living room floor on top of a soft bed of layered blankets. 

Frank has stayed overnight at Gerard’s apartment each of the past two weekends since they’d gotten back together, though he’s been telling his mom he’s staying at Jamia’s place. Waking up next to Gerard has become Frank’s favourite part of the week and it’s definitely something he could get used to. Frank has even started leaving a few things at the apartment which he can tell that Gerard really likes to see—the man has cleared a spot in the closet where Frank keeps a few items of clothing and he’s also put out an extra toothbrush for Frank in the bathroom.

As Frank continues to bathe himself he starts to feel an unpleasant sinking feeling of guilt in the pit of his stomach when he suddenly recalls the steamy sex-dream he’d had about Jonah last night. He hasn’t been able to stop thinking about Jonah since the last time they’d seen each other. He’s been trying to ignore the crush he has on the attractive, pink-haired emo guy, hoping it will just go away eventually, but so far the feeling is only becoming more and more intense. After last night’s dream, Frank isn’t sure if he can even look at Gerard now without telling him about his feelings for Jonah, as nervous as he is to do that...

Frank sighs and gets out of the shower, gets dressed and then makes his way into the kitchen where Gerard is cooking some eggs on the stovetop. Gerard looks up and smiles when he sees Frank walk into the room but then his smile falters when he sees the uneasy expression on Frank’s face.

“What’s up?” asks Gerard, looking concerned as he takes the pan full of scrambled eggs off of the burner and turns off the stovetop element.

Frank takes a deep breath, deciding to just go for it. “Remember that guy I told you about who I was seeing while we were broken up?”

“Yeah...Jonah the drug dealer,” says Gerard, looking and sounding obviously curious as to what Frank is getting at. “What about him?” he asks, sounding tense all of a sudden.

Frank swallows hard, feeling nervous. “I know I said we were just friends—and we were—but, the night before you and I got back together I almost let him fuck me...and it was me who suggested it. The only reason we didn’t go through with it was because he felt like I only wanted to do it because I was sad about not being with you.”

Gerard nods slowly and looks down at his feet for a moment. “Huh,” he says simply, seeming to be deep in thought. “And _was_ that the only reason you wanted to?”

Frank thinks for a moment, wanting to be as honest as possible with Gerard. “That was definitely the main reason,” he says, shifting on his feet. “But, I also just wanted to see what it was like to be with him, I guess...” he admits, becoming a bit red in the face.

Gerard nods slowly again and his jaw tightens. “Okay,” he says calmly, folding his arms across his chest now as he looks at Frank. “So, why are you telling me this now?”

“I’ve been feeling really guilty about it and I didn’t want it to affect our relationship. I thought the feelings I’ve been having about him would go away if I ignored them but they aren’t,” Frank explains. “It doesn’t mean I don’t love you or that I love you any less or feel any differently about you; it just means that as much as I wish I didn’t, I happen to really like Jonah.”

Gerard is silent for a moment as he chews on his bottom lip, deep in thought again. “Do you want to be with him?” he asks eventually.

“No, I want to be with _you_ ,” Frank says right away.

“You want to sleep with him though?”

“Uh...I don’t _not_ want to sleep with him...” Frank admits, feeling deeply ashamed of his desire. “I totally understand if you don’t wanna be with me anymore because of that. I really wish I didn’t feel like this,” he says, feeling his eyes begin to well up with tears.

Gerard sighs. “I’m not gonna pretend I’m not jealous—because I fucking am—but I’m not gonna break up with you because of it either,” he begins, and Frank feels instantly relieved. “I’m jealous, but I’m not upset with you, Frankie; you can’t really control who you’re attracted to. Besides, you’ve never been with anyone else but me and I can see how you’d be curious about what it’s like to be with a different guy.

“If you feel like you need to get that out of your system, then you should just go for it. I love you so much and it’s so hard for me to even _think_ about you being with someone else, but at the same time, I get it. I get that you want to experience different guys—younger guys—at your age, and I don’t wanna take that away from you.“

“So...what are you saying? You want me to sleep with Jonah?” asks Frank, raising an eyebrow.

“I’m not saying that I _want_ you to sleep with him; I’m saying I’d be willing to let you experience him while still being with me. I’m not interested in being with anyone else but you—I’ve already been with more than enough people in my life—I just don’t want you to miss out on having normal teenager experiences.”

Frank feels astounded by what Gerard has just said to him. “Gerard...wow, I...are you serious? You’d be okay with that? I mean, you’re already jealous about the fact that I have a crush on him.”

Gerard shrugs. “I wouldn’t have suggested it if it wasn’t something I was willing to try,” he says. “I guess we’ll just have to see if it’s something that works for us or not. And, of course we’d have rules that we’d need to discuss before going ahead with anything.”

Frank nods and he can’t help but smile. “The fact that you’re willing to do this for me, Gerard...I fucking love you so much.”

Gerard smiles back. “I would literally do anything for you, Frankie. And, I trust you—you didn’t have to tell me how you feel about Jonah, but you did. I really value that kind of honesty and it’s how I’m trying to be after how I fucked up by lying to Lindsey. I never wanna break up with you again. I love you so much, baby boy.”

Frank goes over to Gerard and pulls him in for a deep, passionate kiss. They make out for a long while and then afterwards they decide to sit down and eat breakfast together at the kitchen table. 

“So, what’d you mean when you mentioned having rules?” asks Frank between bites of food. 

“Every open relationship needs rules,” says Gerard. “I’ve never been in one before but I at least know that much.”

“Open relationship?”

“Yeah, like, a non-monogamous relationship.”

Frank raises an eyebrow and Gerard smiles, probably realizing that Frank has never even heard of the terms he’s throwing around.

“A relationship between two people where one or both of the people in it are fucking and/or being affectionate with other people outside of the relationship.”

“ _Oh_ ,” says Frank, nodding thoughtfully as he contemplates the definition of the term.

“Anyway, I can already think of some rules that I’d like you to follow if you’re gonna go ahead with seeing Jonah.”

“Okay. What are they?”

“Well, first of all, this has to be your primary relationship; I don’t want you spending as much time with him as you do with me.”

“Yeah, of course,” says Frank, nodding.

“I also want to meet him first before you do anything with him—just to make sure he’s not a creep or anything.” 

“He’s not, but, okay, sure,” says Frank with a shrug.

“I also wanna know when you’ll be hanging out with him and where you’ll be.”

“Okay.”

“And, I wanna know about everything you do with him—no secrets.”

“Yeah, for sure.”

“You also have to use protection if you’re having sex with him.”

“Okay.”

“And, you have to break it off if your guys’ relationship is negatively affecting ours.”

“Okay,” says Frank, nodding.

“And, finally...if we’re gonna do this then I want you to move in with me,” says Gerard, looking at Frank expectantly. “Will you?”

Frank smiles widely, ecstatic that Gerard has now officially asked him. “Yeah, of course I will,” he says happily. He really can’t wait to live with Gerard.

Gerard smiles back, looking relieved after hearing Frank’s enthusiastic response to his invitation. “I’m really glad to hear that,” he says. “When do you think you’ll tell your mom?”

“I might as well just tell her today, don’t you think?” asks Frank, just wanting to get the conversation over with as he knows it’s going to be a heated one.

“If you want to,” says Gerard. “She’s probably gonna be pissed that we’re even seeing each other again...”

“Yeah, she’s definitely gonna be pissed,” Frank agrees. “Like you said before though: I’m sure she’ll eventually get over it once she sees how happy I am here.”

Gerard nods. “Yeah, it’ll take some time for sure, but I think she’ll come around,” he says.

“I’m really excited to live here with you,” says Frank, grinning.

Gerard smiles warmly. “I’m really excited, too, baby,” he says. “It’ll be so nice coming home to you everyday and just having you around all the time.”

“Aww, I can’t wait,” says Frank sweetly.

*

After having breakfast with Gerard, Frank goes home to find his mom cleaning up the kitchen while loud pop music plays from a Bluetooth speaker that’s sitting on the dining table. 

Linda looks up from scrubbing a stain off the countertop when Frank walks into the room and her face lights up. “Oh! Hey, honey!” she exclaims, going over to the table to pause the music on the speaker. “How was your night at Jamia’s?” she asks once the music stops. 

Frank sits down at the dining table. “Hey, uh...there’s something I need to tell you, Mom...” he says.

Linda looks at Frank curiously and leans against the countertop. “Okay, I’m listening.”

“I wasn’t actually with Jamia last night,” Frank begins. Linda raises an eyebrow. “I was with Gerard. We started seeing each other again a couple weeks ago.”

Linda is silent for a moment; her expression darkens and she looks pissed. “Are you being serious right now?”

“Yeah.” Frank nods.

“Jesus Christ, Frankie...” says Linda exasperatedly, pressing the palm of one of her hands against her forehead and looking upset. “I can’t fucking believe you,” she says, looking at Frank now.

“We didn’t even wanna break up in the first place; Mikey basically forced us to—you know that. Is it really even surprising that I’m seeing him again?”

“It is surprising that after all the pain you went through when you stopped seeing him, after I took a month off work to help you get over him, you still just went back to him like all of that was for nothing. I’m so disappointed in you, Frankie—you really let me down. You already know how I feel about that man so there’s no point in me reiterating how disgusted I am about the whole idea of you two being together.”

“Yeah, I’m well-aware of how you feel about him...” says Frank, rolling his eyes as he remembers his mom calling Gerard a “predator.” “Since we’re at it, I guess I might as well tell you that I’m moving in with him, too.”

Linda’s eyes go wide and her face contorts into a shocked expression. “ _What_?” she says. “No, you’re fucking not,” she says sternly.

“Uh...yeah, I am, actually,” says Frank smugly.

“Well, there’s no way in hell that I’m going to allow that to happen.”

“Good luck stopping me...” says Frank with an unaffected shrug. 

Linda shakes her head in disbelief. “Can I just ask what the hell is wrong with you?” she says. “‘Cause I’d really love to know.”

“I’m happy with Gerard, Mom; he takes care of me and he loves me.”

“ _I_ take care of you, Frankie. _Me_. And I love you more than anyone else in the whole entire world,” says Linda as her eyes well up with tears. “Does your wanting to be with him and live with him have anything to do with your dad leaving us? I think you might have daddy issues, sweetie—maybe you need therapy,” Linda says concernedly, seemingly thinking aloud. 

Frank feels his face grow hot with embarrassment. “What? I don’t have “daddy issues”!” he denies hotly. 

“Then why can’t you just be with someone your own age?”

“Because...Gerard’s just...perfect for me.”

Linda is quiet for a moment and then she sighs and shakes her head before looking at Frank with a saddened look in her eyes, seemingly trying a different approach. “You’re really gonna leave me all alone in this big house?” she asks, her eyes filling with tears again. “Are you just tired of being around me all the time?”

“Mom, don’t...” Frank says softly, feeling bad that he’s making his mom sad. “You know it’s not like that.”

“I’m so not ready for you to leave the nest yet, sweetie.”

“Well, unfortunately, it’s not up to you.”

“You’re still so young though, Frankie,” says Linda. “And, you’re barely even making any money with those short shifts you’ve been working at the café lately. You can’t just expect that Gerard is going to support you financially all of a sudden.”

“It was his idea for me to even move in with him, and he didn’t mention anything about me paying rent or anything to do with money at all.”

“Of course it was his idea...” Linda says under her breath. “He probably just wants to be able to have you whenever he pleases, and you’re making it so damn easy for him. I hate that you can’t see how perverted that is.”

“I hate that you can’t see how paranoid and judgmental you’re being,” Frank retorts quickly.

“Well, fucking forgive me for trying to prevent my only son from getting taken advantage of by a man who’s more than twice his age,” Linda says snarkily.

“He’s not taking advantage of me!” Frank yells frustratedly. “Just because he’s twice my age doesn’t mean he’s a bad person for being in love with me.”

“Well, I don’t goddamn like the idea of you living with him or even seeing him.”

“Again: it’s not up to you,” says Frank firmly. “I’m moving in with him and that’s final, okay?”

“No, it’s _not_ fucking okay. You’re making a mistake,” says Linda. “And, if you decide to go ahead and do it anyway, then you’re going to seriously damage our relationship.”

“Fine, if that’s how you wanna play this.”

“You think this is a fucking game? Well, I’m not playing. Whatever decision you make right now is going to have lasting consequences.”

“I’m not changing my mind about this,” says Frank. “It’s what I wanna do. You can’t protect me forever, Mom; at some point you have to just let me figure shit out for myself.” 

Linda shakes her head and looks at her son sadly. “What happened to you, Frankie?”

Frank shrugs, hating to see his mom so sad and disappointed in him but at the same time feeling frustrated with her for refusing to even try to see things his way. “I grew up,” he says simply before turning and walking away. 

Frank heads upstairs to his room where he flops down onto his bed, letting out a large sigh as he does. He looks around his bedroom at his things, realizing how few items he’ll have to pack up to take to Gerard’s place when he moves in with him. The only things he’ll need to pack are his clothes, shoes, Xbox, skateboard and a couple of boxes filled with special items like photos and travel souvenirs and yearbooks. 

Frank’s mind wanders and he starts thinking about Jonah as he lies there in bed, smiling to himself when he recalls the dream he’d had about him last night. All he remembers from the dream is lying in some unfamiliar bed with Jonah on top of him, fucking him nice and slow while kissing his neck... Frank squirms around a bit in bed when he feels a rush of blood fill his cock, making it semi-hard. He really wants to see Jonah now and decides to text him to see if he wants to meet up today. They haven’t seen or spoken to each other in a couple of weeks—not since Frank had told him he’d gotten back together with Gerard—and Frank is feeling a little nervous about messaging him, hoping that Jonah even still wants to be friends with him after how their last conversation ended.

 **Frank** : _hey Jonah_

Frank doesn’t have to wait long for Jonah to reply; he seems to always have his phone on him.

 **Jonah** : _hey sup bro_

 **Frank** : _not much, just chilling at home and wondering if ur free to hang out today..i miss u and just wanna talk_

 **Jonah** : _yea for sure i can hang today what time n where_

 **Frank** : _skate park at 7?_

 **Jonah** : _sounds good i’ll bring my board_

 **Frank** : _sweet! i didn’t know u skate too_

 **Jonah** : _yea i have for years ur prob still better than me tho ha_

 **Frank** : _i doubt that but we’ll see lol_

 **Jonah** : _i miss u too btw. i just kinda felt awkward abt texting u after u told me ur back w ur bf_

 **Frank** : _same tbh lol_

 **Jonah** : _anyway ttyl i gtg do a deal real quick n then some other shit so can’t chat rn but see u at 7_

 **Frank** : _okay, no worries, see u later!_

Frank finds himself smiling when he puts his phone down. It’s still only early afternoon right now and he wishes time would just hurry up and be seven o’clock already so that he can see Jonah. He decides to call Gerard and let him know about his plans with Jonah today since he’d mentioned that he wants Frank to tell him whenever they’re hanging out.

“Hey, baby,” Gerard says when he answers the phone. “What’s up?”

“Hey. Not much, just lying in bed.”

“Did you talk to your mom?”

“Yeah,” says Frank with a sigh.

“How’d that go?”

“She was really shocked and upset when I told her we were seeing each other again,” Frank begins. “And even more so when I told her I’m moving in with you, which is pretty much what I expected.”

“So, you’re okay?”

“Yeah, I’m good. It is what it is.”

“That’s good,” says Gerard. “You definitely didn’t waste any time with telling her,” he comments.

“Well, I wanna move in with you ASAP, so...” says Frank with a little laugh. 

Gerard hums warmly. “That’s sweet, baby.”

“I messaged Jonah a little while ago.”

“Oh, yeah?” says Gerard, suddenly sounding a little tense. 

“Yeah. I asked him if he wants to meet up with me tonight—just to talk. I kinda wanna tell him about what we talked about earlier today and that you wanna meet him and stuff.”

“Oh, okay. Thanks for letting me know,” says Gerard. “Where are you guys gonna go?”

“We’re meeting at the skate park.” 

“Does he skate, too?”

“Yeah. Just found that out.”

“Oh, okay.”

“So, what are you up to?”

“I’m just about to walk into the grocery store to do some shopping.”

“Oh, okay,” says Frank. “I guess I’ll let you go then.”

“I’ll talk to you later. Hope you have a nice time tonight. Tell me about it later?”

“Thanks. Yeah, I’ll let you know how it goes.” 

“Okay. I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

*

It’s just past seven o’clock now and Frank arrives at the skate park to find Jonah sitting at the edge of the bowl smoking a cigarette with his board in his lap. He’s wearing a black snapback over his short, bright-pink hair and he also has on a baby-pink Thrasher hoodie, ripped black jeans and a pair of classic skate shoes. 

Jonah looks up when he sees Frank approaching and puts out his cigarette on the concrete ground. “Frankie,” he says warmly as he stands up, smiling and carrying his board in one hand as he walks over. “What’s good, bro?” 

“Hey, Jonah,” says Frank, smiling back. They soon get close enough to exchange a quick, one-armed hug. “Not much, how’s it going?” he says as they part.

“Ah, y’know, just out here grindin’,” says Jonah. “Made some good dough today so I’m happy.”

“Nice,” says Frank, nodding. “Can I see your board?”

“Yeah, for sure,” says Jonah, flipping his board over so that the underside is facing up as he holds it out for Frank to see. 

There’s a colourful, graffiti-style painting of a monster/demon type creature covering the underside and Frank thinks it looks really cool. “Dude, that’s so sick,” he says animatedly, impressed by the unique art.

“Thanks. A buddy of mine, Ben, painted it last summer,” says Jonah. “Lemme see yours.”

Frank flips his board over and shows Jonah the underside of it which is covered in a collage of stickers, some of which are peeling off. “It’s nowhere near as cool as yours, but I really love it...”

“You kiddin’ me? This is badass,” says Jonah as he examines the underside of the wooden plank. “I love that weed leaf sticker,” he comments with a little chuckle as he points at it.

“Thanks,” says Frank with a pleased smile before putting his board down on the ground. 

“So, you gonna show me what you got?” Jonah asks with a little smirk.

Frank smirks back. “Yeah, okay.” He puts his feet on his board and skates off across the concrete park, concentrating as he does an ollie and then a kick-flip. He then skates down into the bowl and does a heel-flip in the air after coming up the other side of it. He skates down the side of the bowl again and does a perfect one-eighty in the air when he comes back up. After that he stops on the deck and gets off of his board, carrying it as he walks over to where Jonah had been watching him.

“You got mad skills, boy,” Jonah praises. “Like, damn; that one-eighty was fuckin’ beautiful.”

Frank smiles and blushes a little. “Thanks,” he says. “Your turn.”

Jonah sets his board down and then immediately skates down into the bowl and does a Five-Forty Rodeo Flip when he comes back up the other side, landing perfectly on the deck afterwards. Frank’s jaw drops when he realizes how talented of a skater Jonah is—he’s doing tricks that Frank has never even seen before and nailing all of them. Frank is impressed. When Jonah skates back over to Frank, the kid’s jaw is basically on the floor and Jonah laughs a bit as he approaches.

“Holy fuck, Jonah; that was amazing,” says Frank, still in awe of the guy’s talent. “Like, you could probably go pro if you wanted to.”

“No way,” says Jonah, laughing a bit and looking kind of embarrassed as though he isn’t used to being complimented like this. 

“How long have you been skating?”

“Since I was thirteen—so, ten years,” says Jonah. “At first skatin’ was just somethin’ I did to get outta the house, but soon it became my favourite thing to do.”

“Wow, ten years—that’s a while. I’ve only been skating for like three years,” says Frank.

“You’re pretty good though for only three years’ experience,” says Jonah. “C’mon, let’s go sit by the bowl,” he says, suddenly taking Frank’s hand and leading him over to the edge of the bowl where they sit down, setting their boards down on the ground next to them.

Frank watches as Jonah reaches into the pocket of his hoodie and takes out a lighter and a joint rolled with white paper. He puts the end with the filter to his lips and then lights the twisted end of it, inhaling as he does. 

“Do you smoke weed every day?” asks Frank, watching as Jonah’s warm, dark brown eyes narrow as he blows out a lungful of pungent marijuana smoke.

“Yeah. All day, everyday, pretty much,” Jonah says, holding the burning joint out to Frank.

“No, thanks—I’m good right now,” says Frank, shaking his head. “Maybe I’ll have some after I tell you what I wanna tell you...”

“Okay,” Jonah says, looking at Frank expectantly. 

Frank sighs. “Okay...” he starts off. “The last time we saw each other I told you I don’t have feelings for you, but, I actually do...”

Frank looks over at Jonah and is surprised to see that he’s smiling and already looking at him. 

“That ain’t news to me,” Jonah says casually. “I knew it was bullshit when you said it.”

“Oh...damn,” says Frank, now smiling sheepishly and blushing. “Well, thanks for not calling me out on it.”

Jonah laughs. “I couldn’t do you like that,” he says. “I could tell you didn’t even wanna admit it to yourself.”

“I guess I was just feeling guilty about having feelings for you since I’d just gotten back together with Gerard.”

“What’s changed now? Are you not seein’ him anymore?” 

“No, I’m still seeing him. I told him how I feel about you and he basically said he’s okay with us hanging out and hooking up and stuff.”

Jonah raises an eyebrow. “He said that? For real?”

“Yeah.” Frank nods.

“So, you guys got an open relationship now?” 

“Yeah, I guess so,” says Frank, shrugging a bit.

“Damn...” Jonah says, shaking his head, smiling. He then narrows his eyes and looks at Frank curiously. “So, you can make out with me and chill in bed with me and stuff again?” he asks, seemingly wanting to make sure his assumptions are correct.

Frank laughs a bit, feeling a little embarrassed. “Uh, yeah,” he says. “If you’re even still into me like that.”

Jonah looks surprised that Frank would even doubt that. “The fuck? ‘Course I‘m still into you,” he says. “You’re pretty much all I think about at this point.”

Frank giggles and lightly leans his body into Jonah’s, tilting him over slightly as they sit there at the edge of the bowl. “Shut up...” he says playfully.

Jonah smirks and opportunistically slips his arm around Frank’s waist as he leans back into him. “What? You think I’m just sayin’ that to flatter you?”

Frank shrugs and smiles shyly, enjoying the way Jonah’s holding his waist so securely. “I dunno...maybe,” he says. “Although, I kinda think about you all the time, too...”

Jonah’s still smirking as he tightens his grip on Frank’s waist, eyes smouldering and holding a gaze that Frank can only decipher as lustful. Jonah then begins leaning in, inching their faces closer and closer together, making Frank feel flushed and a little lightheaded as his heart begins to pound in his chest from the anticipation of kissing Jonah again. But, at the last moment before their lips touch, Frank turns his head, causing Jonah’s lips to make touchdown on his cheek instead.

Jonah smiles and bites his lip as he looks down at his lap for a second. “I must be missin’ somethin’...” he says, looking up at Frank again now. 

“It’s not that I don’t wanna kiss you—‘cause I really fucking do,” Frank begins, smiling a bit as he looks over at Jonah. “It’s just that Gerard has rules for this open relationship thing.”

Jonah raises an eyebrow. “So...he don’t want us makin’ out, or what?”

“No, it’s not that—he said I can pretty much do whatever I want with you as long as we use protection,” says Frank, causing Jonah to look even more surprised. “The thing is that he said he wants to meet you first before we go ahead with anything.” 

Jonah looks surprised. “Oh,” he says, nodding. “He say why?”

“Basically to make sure you’re not a creep,” says Frank with a bit of a smirk.

Jonah chuckles and takes another toke. “Aight, that’s cool; I can wait,” he says with a little shrug, blowing out smoke as he does.

“It’ll be worth it,” Frank assures him.

Jonah laughs lightly. “You ain’t gotta tell me, baby; I already know...” he says, gently squeezing Frank’s waist again where his hand is resting.

Frank blushes, suddenly feeling warm all over from the way Jonah’s continuing to grip his waist right now.

“Oh, l just remembered there’s an eighteen plus night comin’ up at this club downtown next weekend—you wanna go?” asks Jonah. “Maybe Gerard and I could meet that night. I could invite Chels and Jams, too, if you want,” he suggests.

“Hell yeah, I wanna go,” says Frank, excited by the idea of going clubbing for the first time. “That sounds awesome.”

“Aight, cool. I’ll ask the girls about it later on.”

“Sweet,” says Frank. “Do you go clubbing lots?”

“Yeah,” says Jonah, nodding. “Only ‘cause I make bank sellin’ at clubs on weekends—everyone’s pretty much there to get fucked up.”

“How much money do you usually make over a weekend?”

“Like, two racks,” says Jonah casually.

Frank’s eyes widen and his jaw drops. “Holy shit.”

“Fuckin’ right. It’s why I’ll never get a “real” job,” Jonah says. “I know I make it look easy, but slingin’ dope is actually hard work; I wouldn’t do it if it didn’t pay so well.”

Frank nods. “You know, I always thought all drug dealers were like, super dangerous and mean,” he admits.

Jonah laughs. “I must be the sweetest, softest drug dealer you ever met.”

“You’re the _only_ drug dealer I’ve ever met, so, yeah, I guess you are,” says Frank with a little smirk that immediately turns into a genuine smile when Jonah softly kisses him on the cheek.

*

It’s now the following weekend and Gerard and Frank have just walked up to the club where they’re meeting up with Jonah, Chelsea and Jamia. Frank has been living with Gerard for a few days now and he’s been loving it so far, which is quite the opposite of how his mom has been feeling about it—she’s been calling and texting him nonstop, wanting to make sure he’s okay but most of all trying to convince him to move back home with her again. Frank’s just waiting for her to accept the situation like Gerard keeps on insisting that she will.

Right now it’s just past eleven o’clock at night and there’s a long line of people outside of the front entrance to the club, all talking and laughing loudly in their social groups while they wait to be let in by the hefty bouncer who’s dressed in all black and standing at the main entrance. It’s chilly outside; Frank is dressed in a white, cropped, see-through T-shirt with black jeans and he shivers a bit and stands closer to Gerard as they walk hand-in-hand towards the back of the dauntingly long line. 

“Damn, people are already staring at me and we’re not even inside yet...” says Gerard, sounding a bit apprehensive.

“So what?” says Frank with a shrug, noticing the stares and whispers, too, but not caring at all what anyone thinks about Gerard being here. “They’re staring ‘cause you’re sexy; not ‘cause of your age.”

Gerard chuckles and affectionately squeezes Frank’s hand. “You’re sweet, Frankie,” he says lovingly.

“Well, it’s true,” says Frank, smiling up at Gerard as he now wraps his arms around the man’s waist. “You do look really sexy.”

Gerard chuckles and shakes his head. “Look who’s fucking talking, baby,” he says, looking Frank up and down, checking him out before leaning in and kissing him heatedly. “I’m not gonna be able to stop looking at you all night,” he says when their lips part.

Frank smiles, feeling a bit lightheaded from the heated kiss they’ve just shared. “I don’t want you to.”

Frank suddenly hears someone call his name and then lets go of Gerard and turns to look in the direction that the voice had come from. He looks towards the front of the line and sees Jamia and Chelsea standing near the entrance, not in line but off to the side a bit. Jamia’s waving and Frank smiles as he takes Gerard’s hand and walks them over to his friends. Jamia’s dressed in black leather tights and a black corset top which shows a fair bit of cleavage while Chelsea’s dressed in a champagne-coloured bodycon minidress with a Rouche knot front. Both girls are wearing high heels and their makeup and hair look flawless—Frank is only slightly jealous of how gorgeous they both look right now.

“Frankie!” says Jamia excitedly as they approach, immediately pulling Frank in for a hug when he’s close enough.

“Jamia! Oh my fucking God, you both look amazing,” says Frank as he and Jamia part. 

“Thanks, so do you guys!” says Jamia, seemingly unable to contain her smile as she puts her arm around Chelsea’s tiny waist.

“It feels like it’s been forever, Frankie; it’s so nice to see you,” Chelsea says with a kind smile.

“It’s nice to see you, too!” says Frank. “This is my boyfriend, Gerard,” he says, gesturing to Gerard as he introduces him to his friends.

“Hey, Gerard! I’m Jamia—we sort of met briefly at the café a while back.”

“Right—I remember that. It’s nice to officially meet you,” says Gerard.

“And, I’m Chelsea,” the other girl says. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“It’s nice to meet you, too,” says Gerard.

“She’s my queen,” Jamia adds sweetly as she looks at Chelsea with this adoring expression on her face.

Chelsea smiles at her girlfriend. “You get so soft when you’re drunk, babe; it’s cute,” she says before kissing Jamia briefly.

“Okay, so you guys are adorable,” says Frank matter-of-factly. 

Jamia seems to blush and then Chelsea looks at her phone after it suddenly chimes with a text-message notification. “Jonah says he’ll be right out,” Chelsea announces.

“Where’s he at?” asks Frank.

“He’s inside already—he knows this club promoter who’s gonna get us in for free and let us skip the line, too,” says Chelsea.

“Oh, sweet,” says Frank. He glances towards the back of the line which looks even longer now. “I wonder how he managed that.”

“I think he sells to that club promoter guy or something—I dunno. They seem to have made some sort of deal though,” says Chelsea.

“Who _doesn’t_ that motherfucker sell to though? Honestly...” says Jamia loudly, rolling her eyes.

Gerard chuckles at Jamia’s comment just as Jonah saunters out of the club past the bouncer looking high as fuck with slits for eyes. His bright-pink hair looks tousled and his nose ring is shining in the street light glow. He’s wearing a pair of ripped light-pink jeans that have several black and white patches sewn up and down one leg and a fitted, black designer T-shirt. Frank can’t tell what Jonah’s on but he can tell that the guy is feeling pretty good right now by the way he looks so relaxed and sedated.

“Damn, y’all lookin’ nice,” Jonah says, sounding impressed as he approaches the two couples. He greets Chelsea and Jamia first and then he stops and looks Frank up and down for a moment with a stoned-looking half-smile on his face that gives the boy pleasant butterflies in his stomach. “‘Specially you—you clean up good, bro,” Jonah compliments.

Frank blushes. “Thanks,” he says shyly, not really sure yet how to respond to Jonah flirting with him and checking him out in front of Gerard.

Jonah looks over at Gerard now, obviously knowing who he is. “What’s good, man? I’m Jonah,” he says, extending his hand out in front of him.

“Hey, I’m Gerard,” the man says confidently as he firmly shakes Jonah’s hand.

“Nice to meet you,” says Jonah, sort of checking Gerard out, noticing his large, muscular frame. “Damn, you look like you could lay me the fuck out with one punch,” he comments.

Gerard chuckles, seeming surprised by how comfortable Jonah seems with interacting with him. “Nice to meet you, too,” he says. “And, yeah, I probably could,” he says, responding to Jonah’s comment with a bit of an edge in his voice as he appears to size the guy up. 

Jonah laughs lightly. “I don’t doubt it...” he says, messing with his hair a bit as he eyes Gerard’s large muscles again. “What do you bench?” he asks curiously.

“Three-fifteen,” Gerard replies casually. 

“Holy shit,” says Jonah, sounding impressed.

“Why do you ask? Doesn’t look like you’ve ever lifted anything heavier than your own dick,” Gerard says smugly, smirking slightly. 

Jonah laughs. “Nice one,” he says, obviously not taking Gerard’s playful diss seriously. “A couple of my buddies lift and they’re always talkin’ ‘bout bench-pressin’ and shit,” he explains.

“Oh, okay,” says Gerard, nodding. 

Frank is enjoying watching Gerard and Jonah interact; he can tell that Jonah finds Gerard attractive (who wouldn’t?) and that Gerard is silently trying to figure Jonah out. Frank’s really excited to see how the night progresses because so far the two men seem to be playing well together and he’s feeling optimistic about all of this.

“So, y’all wanna fuckin’ party, or what?” asks Jonah with a ready smile and an eyebrow slightly raised.

“Hell yeah,” says Frank as his eyes light up. He’s eager to be inside of a nightclub for the first time. 

Chelsea and Jamia agree with Frank’s sentiment and are first to follow Jonah towards the bouncer at the entrance to the club. Gerard takes Frank’s hand in his and they follow behind the rest of the group. The bouncer lets them all past him right away and then the front door attendant checks their ID cards and stamps the inside of their wrists and also gives Frank a red wristband that no one else in the group gets.

When they get past the entrance and into the main room of the club, Frank smiles immediately because his surroundings seem so surreal to him: he can feel the beat of the loud music pulsing in his chest; the colourful, strobing lights shining down onto the crowd of dancing bodies on the large dance floor are mesmerizing to him; and the excitement of all these people here together in one room just to party and have a good time is elevating his mood immensely.

Jonah leads them over to a lounge area just off of the dance floor which has three small, black loveseats formed into a U-shape and a coffee table type thing in the middle of them. They all sit down on the couches as a bubbly blonde server dressed in a black minidress greets them and asks each of them what they’d like to drink. Frank just orders a water since he’s not allowed to order alcohol with the wristband he has on, but Gerard orders a White Russian which he says he’ll let Frank have. Frank has never even heard of that drink before, but Gerard says he thinks he’ll like it. 

Frank is sitting between Gerard and Jonah on one couch while Chelsea and Jamia are sitting next to each other on one of the other couches. The ladies are talking together and Jonah is focused on his phone screen as he’s text-messaging someone. Gerard puts his arm around Frank’s shoulders and Frank leans into his body as they people-watch.

“When was the last time you were at a club?” asks Frank curiously after a moment.

“Oh, shit...” Gerard says, running a hand through his hair as he thinks for a second. “It was definitely before Mikey was born...probably for one of Lindsey’s birthdays like twenty years ago.”

“Whoa,” says Frank, a little surprised that it’s been that long. “I’m guessing it wasn’t quite like this,” he says with a smirk, looking around the room again.

“Uh, no, not quite,” Gerard says with a chuckle. 

Soon, the server in the black minidress comes back and hands out the group’s drinks. Jonah has bought tequila shots for everyone and the server passes around the tray so that everyone can have one or two. Frank takes a tequila shot while Gerard takes a sip of the White Russian he’d ordered. After he takes the shot, Frank wants to gag from the bitter taste of the tequila and cough from the way it burns his throat and esophagus as it goes down and begins to warm his stomach.

“Oh my God, that was fucking...not good,” says Frank, laughing and shaking his head a bit with his face contorted into an expression of disgust. “Why do people drink this stuff? It tastes like fuel,” he says, genuinely wanting to know.

Gerard laughs. “Here, have some of this,” he says, handing the White Russian to Frank. 

Frank takes the cocktail glass from Gerard and has a sip of the drink through the straw. He’s pleasantly surprised by how sweet and creamy it tastes and by how well it washes away the unpleasant taste of the tequila shot. “Okay, this is amazing,” he says. “It tastes like a dessert.”

“I knew you’d like it,” says Gerard, watching as Frank now ignores the straw and puts his lips to the glass, taking several large sips of the drink at once.

“Whoa, take it slow, Frankie; pace yourself,” says Gerard, taking the glass away from the boy. “There _is_ a fair bit of vodka in there despite how it tastes; I don’t want you to make yourself sick by drinking too much at once,” he continues.

Frank gives Gerard a smug look. “I’ve been drunk before—I know how to handle myself.”

Gerard raises an eyebrow. “Yeah? How many times have you been drunk before? Twice? _Maybe_ three times?” he asks. “Here’s a tip: it’s usually a good idea to heed advice from people who have more experience than you—in any area of life.”

Frank is silent, feeling like he’s being scolded and feeling slightly annoyed at Gerard for taking the drink away from him even though he’s already starting to feel tipsy.

Jonah finally looks up from his phone and looks over at Frank. “He’s right, y’know,” he says with a bit of a smirk.

Frank playfully rolls his eyes at Jonah. “Thanks for that,” he says sarcastically. 

“Yeah, thanks, Jonah,” says Gerard, smirking as he leans forward a bit so that he can see Jonah on the other side of Frank. 

Frank pouts at Gerard and folds his arms across his chest, feeling like he and Jonah are taking sides against him.

“Oh, don’t gimme that look, baby,” says Gerard gently, rubbing Frank’s arm up and down. “We’re only looking out for you. Want you to end the night smiling instead of hugging a toilet bowl.” 

Frank sighs, knowing the two of them are right but hating the fact the he’s feeling like a child right now. He looks at Jonah and sees that he’s already looking at him and sort of laughing.

“What?” asks Frank, sort of snappy. 

“Nothin’,” says Jonah, shaking his head calmly, still grinning. “You’re just motherfuckin’ adorable.”

Frank can’t help but to smile and blush at Jonah’s sweet words and he wonders what Gerard is thinking after hearing them.

Chelsea and Jamia suddenly stand up and announce that they’re going to dance and now Frank feels like dancing, too, feeling a little drunk already after only one shot and half of a cocktail. 

Frank looks over at Gerard now. “Do you wanna go dance with me?” he asks. 

“Not right now—I need to be drunk if I’m gonna dance.”

Frank smirks. “Are you shy about dancing in front of people?”

“A little, but only ‘cause I’m shit at it and it’s kind of embarrassing if I’m not plastered,” Gerard admits. “Why don’t you ask Jonah if he wants to dance?”

Frank raises an eyebrow, surprised at Gerard’s suggestion but now really wanting to dance with Jonah, too. “You sure?”

“Yeah, I’m sure, baby,” says Gerard. “You two can do whatever you want as long as you follow my rules, remember?”

Frank looks at Gerard with a cute little smirk on his face. “So...he passed your inspection?” he asks.

Gerard chuckles. “Yeah, if you wanna call it that,” he says, leaning in close for a second to kiss Frank, making the boy smile sweetly against the man’s lips. “He seems like a good guy,” he adds after their lips part.

Frank smiles at Gerard and then stands up and turns to look at Jonah who looks like he’s just discreetly put a pill into his mouth. “Come dance with me,” he says, taking Jonah’s hand and tugging it, trying to pull him up off the couch.

Jonah swallows and then smiles up at Frank before he looks over at Gerard as if to ask the man for permission; Gerard then gives Jonah a little nod as if to say “it’s cool.” Jonah then looks up at Frank again and lets him pull him up, still holding onto his hand as they make their way towards the crowded dance floor. Frank looks back at Gerard as they walk away and the man sweetly blows him a kiss, making the boy smile as he turns to face forward again and continues to walk with Jonah to the edge of the crowd of dancing bodies. 

Jonah stops at a spot where Gerard can still see them and firmly puts his hands on Frank’s bare hips from behind, beginning to move his own hips to the music, prompting Frank to do the same. Frank’s never really danced like this with anyone before but he loves the way Jonah’s body is pressed up against his and the way the bulge of the guy’s cock is rubbing against him as he grinds his ass on it. Frank soon feels Jonah put his lips on his ear and gets a pleasant shiver through his body when he begins to speak right into it.

“Gerard seems pretty chill,” Jonah says. “I totally got a ‘dad vibe’ from him when he was tellin’ you not to drink so fast,” he adds with a little laugh.

Frank smiles and turns his head to look back at Jonah. “He is pretty great,” he agrees. “And I lowkey kinda like it when he tells me what to do,” he admits with a mischievous smirk.

Jonah laughs again and spins Frank around so that they’re facing each other now. He wraps his arms around Frank’s bare waist and pulls him up close against his body as they dance; Frank drapes his arms over Jonah’s shoulders and looks up at him, studying his attractive features, staring at his kissable lips...

“D’you think he approves of me?” asks Jonah, distracting Frank from the way he’s longing to feel Jonah’s lips on his.

“Yeah; he told me you seem like a good guy.”

Jonah smiles. “Sweet,” he says, nodding. “You know, it’s actually kinda hot—the age difference between you guys.”

“You think so?” asks Frank with a smirk, wanting to hear more.

Jonah nods. “Yeah, I do,” he says. “‘Specially ‘cause he looks _like that_ ,” he adds.

Frank giggles a bit. “Yeah, he’s so fucking hot,” he says, momentarily looking over at Gerard where he’s sitting on the couch still, watching them dance.

“Yeah, his body is amazing—‘specially for his age,” Jonah agrees. “I think you’re way hotter, though; I’m definitely more into twinks.”

Frank raises an eyebrow. “What’s a “twink”?”

“It basically means a guy who’s young and small and fuckin’ adorable,” says Jonah. “So...you,” he adds with a smirk. 

Frank smiles and blushes, really wanting to kiss Jonah now. “I think you’re sexy as hell,” he admits, still staring up at the guy longingly. 

Jonah smirks and pulls Frank’s body up even closer against his with his hands feeling all over the boy’s bare hips and waist before sliding down to cup his ass. Frank bites his lip, enjoying the way Jonah’s hands are feeling him up.

“You’re lookin’ at me like you want somethin’ from me,” says Jonah, squeezing Frank’s ass, nearly making the boy moan from how turned on he is from this.

“I really wanna make out with you,” says Frank needily, bringing his hands up a bit and gently raking his fingers through the back of Jonah’s bright-pink hair.

“You sure Gerard’s cool with it?”

“Yeah,” says Frank, nodding. “I mean, you’ve been groping my ass pretty much right in front of him and you’re still conscious and breathing, so...” 

Jonah laughs. “Yeah, true; I probably _would_ be fuckin’ dead right now if he wasn’t cool with it,” he says, leaning in close now until his lips are pressed against Frank’s. “Your ass is so fuckin’ perfect, by the way...” he says between kisses.

Frank smiles and he can feel his body relax against Jonah’s as they kiss; the whole room seems to stop moving as he focuses on they way Jonah’s tongue feels against his, the sweet taste of his soft lips, the way his hands are still firmly groping his ass. Frank pulls away for air after a while and then just looks up at Jonah with this intense look in his eyes. He really wants to do more with him but it’s not really possible in a place like this, and even more so because he’s here with Gerard.

“You wanna suck my dick?” asks Jonah with a smug smirk, catching Frank off guard by the way the guy is seemingly reading his mind right now.

“Yeah,” says Frank, nodding and smiling coyly as he stares lustfully up at Jonah. “Not tonight though; not when Gerard’s here.”

“Okay,” Jonah says, biting his lip, nodding. “I get that; I can wait.”

Frank then hungrily pulls Jonah in for another kiss and they make out again for a while until the music changes. Then, Jonah pulls away and spins Frank around to face away from him again, pulling his hips back so his ass is pressed up close against his cock which feels hard against Frank’s ass now. Frank begins to rhythmically roll his hips against Jonah’s, just losing himself in the beat of the music and feeling sexy as Jonah’s hands slide up and down his bare sides and torso as they dance.

“Grind that ass on my fuckin’ dick, baby,” Jonah says smoothly into Frank’s ear, making the boy shiver pleasantly with arousal as he grinds even harder against Jonah. “Yeah, that’s it, boy...just like that,” Jonah says intensely, sounding just as turned on as Frank feels right now.

Frank and Jonah dance together like that for what feels like nearly an hour until Jonah stops and leans in to say something to Frank.

“I’m gonna head to the bathroom,” he says, tapping his nose with one finger, which Frank takes as meaning he’s gonna go do a line of coke or something. “Go hang out with Gerard for a bit.”

“Okay,” Frank says, nodding before needily pulling Jonah in for one more kiss. “Be safe,” he adds, remembering what Gerard had told him about some drugs being laced with bad shit.

Jonah smiles sincerely. “Thanks, bro; always am,” he says before heading off. 

Frank makes his way over to the lounge area where Gerard is sitting on the couch still, sipping on a different drink now. The man smiles when Frank approaches and he sets his cocktail glass down on the table in front of the couch. Frank smiles back and then plops himself down onto Gerard’s lap, straddling his legs and putting his arms over his shoulders as he sits facing him. 

“Hey, baby,” says Gerard as he puts his hands on Frank’s bare hips. 

“Hey,” says Frank, leaning in and kissing Gerard passionately for a moment. 

“Did you have fun dancing with Jonah?”

“Yeah,” says Frank, nodding and smiling.

Gerard chuckles. “I could tell,” he says. “It got me so hot watching you grinding your ass on his dick all slutty like you craved the attention...”

Frank giggles and blushes a bit, feeling pleased and surprised at Gerard’s reaction to seeing him get close to Jonah. “Really?” he asks, intrigued to hear more.

“Yeah, it was so fucking hot, baby...” Gerard reiterates. “Just seeing his hands all over you, spinning you around, pulling you close...goddamn.”

Frank bites his lip, suddenly feeling a pleasurable rush of blood to his cock. “I got him so fucking hard...” he says, biting his lip as he remembers how Jonah’s cock had felt against him.

“Yeah? Good boy, baby...” says Gerard, kissing Frank’s lips softly. “You want him to fuck you, don’t you?” he asks teasingly.

Frank nods. “Yes, daddy,” he admits breathily, half-moaning as he squirms around a bit in Gerard’s lap.

Gerard smirks, looking pleased by how turned on Frank seems to be right now. “Say it,” he orders.

“I want him to fuck me,” Frank moans, grinding his hips down on Gerard’s now, unable to control himself and not giving a fuck who’s watching them. “I want his fucking dick inside me.”

“Fuck yeah, baby; that’s so naughty,” says Gerard, lust dripping from his voice as he ghosts his lips against Frank’s. “Need to punish you when we get home later...remind you who your sweet ass belongs to.”

“Please, daddy...” Frank moans needily against Gerard’s lips, just so turned on by this whole situation. 

“Get a room, you guys!” sounds Jamia’s voice suddenly, followed by her playful laughter. 

Frank turns his head and sees Jamia and Chelsea join them on one of the other couches and he blushes and turns around to face forward now as he sits on Gerard’s lap.

“Or, just get each other off in a bathroom stall like Chelsea and I just did,” says Jamia with a smirk as she shares a knowing look with Chelsea, who looks a little embarrassed that her girlfriend has just shared the fact that they’ve just hooked up in the ladies room.

“I think we’re just gonna wait til we get home...” says Gerard, squeezing one of Frank’s bare hips, letting his fingernails dig in slightly, making Frank squirm around on his lap a little as he thinks about how hot their fuck-session is gonna be later.

“Where’s Jonah?” asks Chelsea, looking at Frank.

“In the bathroom,” Frank replies.

“Probably getting fucked up,” says Jamia, rolling her eyes.

Frank shrugs. “I dunno,” he lies, covering for Jonah. He looks towards the dance floor and his eyes light up when he suddenly sees Jonah walking towards them, into the lounge area. 

Jonah looks at Gerard when he’s standing in front of them. “We good, dude?” he asks carefully, holding a fist out to the man.

“Yeah, we’re good, man,” says Gerard, bumping Jonah’s fist. 

Jonah then sits down next to Frank and Gerard and takes a sip from a random glass of water on the table. Frank can’t stop staring at Jonah; he just wants him so bad—he wants Gerard and him _both_ so bad, if he’s being honest, and maybe even at the same time if he’s being super-honest... 

They all sit and chat and drink for a while and eventually Chelsea and Jamia are the first to decide they’re going to head home, which then causes Frank and Gerard to decide to leave, too. They all head outside to the front of the club, including Jonah even though he says he’s not leaving yet.

When they get outside the guys say goodbye to Chelsea and Jamia first and then Jonah approaches Gerard after the ladies leave. 

“Hey, thanks for bein’ so chill tonight, dude; you’re pretty rad,” Jonah says. 

“Yeah, no worries, Jonah. You seem to make Frankie pretty happy and that’s all I really want. It was good to meet you,” says Gerard.

“Yeah, likewise, man,” says Jonah. “See you around,” he says before turning to Frank now.

Frank immediately smiles when Jonah looks at him because he just likes the guy so much; it makes Jonah smile, too. 

“I just can’t with how fuckin’ cute you are,” Jonah says, still smiling.

Frank blushes and laughs lightly. “Stop...” he says, looking down at his feet for a second before looking up at Jonah again.

Jonah laughs and then pulls Frank in for a tight hug. “It was fun hangin’ out with you again,” he says. 

“Yeah, it was,” Frank agrees as they part. “Thanks for getting us in for free and everything.”

“Ah, don’t mention it,” says Jonah. “Really lookin’ forward to seein’ you again.”

“Me too,” says Frank, smiling. “I’ll text you.”

“Sounds good,” says Jonah. “Anyway, I’ma head back in now. Y’all have a good night,” he says, waving as he turns to leave.

“Night, Jonah,” says Frank. He then turns to look at Gerard. “So? What did you think of him?”

“At first I wasn’t too sure what to expect judging by his eccentric style and the fact that he’s a drug dealer...but, after being around him a bit, I actually think he’s kind of a sweetheart. He also seems to really like you,” Gerard admits. He then tenderly places his hands on Frank’s cheeks. “You’re so special to me, Frankie; all I wanted was to make sure that he’ll treat you right.”

Frank smiles and blushes, feeling pleasant butterflies fill his stomach when Gerard leans in and softly kisses him, moving his lips slowly against his as the boy reaches up to place his hands on Gerard’s broad, muscular shoulders. “I love you so much, Gerard. You’re the best,” he says sweetly.

Gerard smiles back. “I love you, too, sweetheart,” he says. “Now, let’s go home so I can show you just how much...”


	14. Chapter 14

“You look sexy, baby,” says Gerard sweetly as he leans against the doorframe of the en-suite bathroom, watching Frank mess with his hair in front of the mirror. 

“I do?” says Frank, raising an eyebrow at Gerard through the reflective glass. Frank is getting ready to go hang out with Jonah tonight for the first time since they’d all gone clubbing together a couple weeks ago. 

Gerard steps into the bathroom and wraps his arms around Frank’s waist from behind, softly kissing his neck, making the boy smile from the welcomed affection. “Yeah,” he says against Frank’s skin. “Jonah’s gonna lose his mind when he sees you.”

Frank laughs a bit when Gerard looks up and he sees the man’s smirk in the mirror’s reflection. “I’m wearing a hoodie and jeans, Gerard.”

Gerard hums and smiles, his face still tucked against Frank’s skin. “I know, but still...you look nice,” he says softly. 

“Well, thank you,” says Frank, smiling, too.

“I want you home tonight, okay?” Gerard says, speaking into the crook of Frank’s neck as his hands begin to roam underneath the boy’s hoodie, all over his bare torso. “Don’t want you spending the night with him.”

“Okay,” says Frank, nodding as Gerard continues to kiss his neck sweetly. 

“Where are you guys going again?”

“He just told me we’re hanging out in some parking lot.”

Gerard raises an eyebrow. “A parking lot. You sure that’s safe? Sounds kinda sketchy to me. Who else is gonna be there?”

“He said a few of his friends would be meeting us there,” says Frank. “I promise I’ll call you if it’s sketch but I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

“All right,” says Gerard, sounding a little worried. “I don’t want you drinking or getting high with him, okay?”

“Yes, daddy,” says Frank, smirking and playfully rolling his eyes as he looks at Gerard through the mirror. 

Gerard chuckles. “You’re my boy, Frankie; I just want you to be safe out there,” he says. “It’s already ten o’clock on a Friday night...” he adds.

“You don’t need to worry, Gerard,” says Frank, turning around in Gerard’s arms to face him, draping his arms over the man’s shoulders and pulling him down for a kiss. 

“I can’t help it,” says Gerard with a shrug, kissing Frank’s forehead. 

Frank smiles and then startles a bit as his phone goes off in the pocket of his jeans; he fishes it out and then reads the new text message he’s just received from Jonah. 

**Jonah** : _hey bro i’m here_

Frank looks up at Gerard again. “Jonah says he’s here.”

“Tell him to come up,” says Gerard casually.

Frank looks at Gerard, surprised, but doesn’t question him before he taps out a text message in reply to Jonah. 

**Frank** : _come up to the door, the buzzer number is 2223_

 **Jonah** : _kk be right there_

“He says he’s coming up.”

Gerard nods. “Good.”

They both go out into the living room and Gerard puts his arms around Frank’s waist from behind again, just clinging to the boy as though he doesn’t want him to leave.

“You sure you’re okay with me going out with him?” asks Frank. “I don’t have to go; you can change your mind.”

“Yeah, I’m okay with it, Frankie; I want you to go have fun,” says Gerard. “I’m just gonna miss you is all.”

“You gonna wait up for me?”

“Yeah, definitely,” Gerard promises.

Frank smiles. “Okay. I’ll tell you how it went when I get home.”

”Looking forward to it,” says Gerard. “Do you think you’ll sleep with him?”

Frank turns around to face Gerard. “I’m not gonna initiate it, but, it might happen...” he admits. “Is that still okay with you?”

Gerard pauses for a moment. “Do you love me?”

“Yes, of course I do, Gerard,” Frank replies. “I love you so much.”

Gerard smiles and he leans over and sweetly kisses Frank on the forehead. “Then yeah, I’m okay with it, Frankie,” he says, smiling. “Go have fun with Jonah and tell me all about it when you come home. And, I love you, too, baby bear.”

Frank giggles. “ _Baby bear_?” he says. “That’s new.”

Gerard chuckles. “You like it?” he asks, affectionately tucking a lock of Frank’s hair behind his ear.

“Uh-huh,” says Frank, nodding and blushing a bit.

There’s suddenly a knock on the front door and both Frank and Gerard look towards it. Frank then goes over to the door and opens it, revealing Jonah standing there wearing ripped black jeans and his baby-pink Thrasher hoodie. 

Jonah surprisingly looks sober for once and a small smile creeps across his face as soon as he sees Frank, making his dark-brown eyes crinkle in the corners a bit as he does. “Hey, Frankie,” he says warmly.

Frank feels the pleasant sensation of butterflies in his stomach as soon as Jonah speaks and he smiles back. “Hey, Jonah.”

Jonah now looks over at Gerard, who’s standing behind Frank, and gives him a nod. “Gerard.”

“Jonah,” says Gerard, nodding back. “Where’re you taking my boy tonight?”

“Oh, uh, just like this parking lot,” says Jonah awkwardly as he messes with his bright-pink hair. “My boys and I sometimes hang out there and bump music and skate.”

Gerard nods as Frank just stands there waiting. “Okay,” he says. “What time will you have him home?”

“Uh, not sure...” says Jonah, looking at Frank now. “Is there a specific time you want him home by?”

“Preferably before one,” says Gerard.

“Aight, I can do that,” says Jonah, nodding. 

“Great,” says Gerard, nodding, too.

Jonah looks at Frank now. “You ready to bounce, Frankie?”

“Yeah,” says Frank, nodding before turning to look at Gerard. “I’ll see you when I get home,” he says, giving Gerard a hug, pressing his face against the man’s firm chest as he does.

“Okay. Have fun, baby. Be safe,” says Gerard, hugging Frank back. “I love you,” he says just before Frank looks up to receive a kiss from him. 

“I love you, too,” says Frank, smiling after the kiss. He then pulls back and turns towards Jonah who’s scratching his head and looking down at his sneaker-clad feet, obviously feeling a little awkward watching the two lovers embrace. “Okay, let’s go,” Frank says to Jonah as he walks towards the door which Gerard shuts behind them after one last look and smile at Frank.

“Gerard was highkey givin’ off major ‘dad vibes,’ askin’ me when I’ll have you home and shit,” says Jonah as they step into the elevator. “Felt like I was your boyfriend pickin’ you up for our first date.”

Frank laughs. “Well, I mean, he _is_ actually a dad, so...”

“I just thought it was kinda cute. I mean, y’all are hella cute together in general, but, y’know.”

Frank blushes as the elevator door closes. “Thanks,” he says. “So...you’re taking me to a parking lot?” he asks with a bit of a smirk.

“Yeah,” says Jonah with a smile. “I’m not romantic at all.”

“You don’t have to be—Gerard has that covered,” says Frank cheekily.

Jonah chuckles. “Yeah, I’m sure he does; he seems pretty sweet.”

They soon get to the lower level of the apartment building and Jonah holds the main entrance door open for Frank as they walk outside to where a brand-new lime-green Beamer coup is parked along the street right in front of the building.

“Damn, that’s a cool-looking car,” says Frank, staring at the Beamer as they walk out. 

Jonah walks right up to the high-end sports car and Frank assumes that he’s just taking a closer look at it until the guy unlocks the passenger’s side door and opens it, gesturing to Frank with a nod of his head. “Hop in,” he says with a little half-smile.

Frank’s eyes widen. “Wait—this is _yours_?” he asks, surprised as he ogles the vehicle. 

“Yeah, I just got it last week. Traded in the red Mustang,” Jonah says as Frank walks up to the car. “C’mon, get in; let’s ride,” he says with a slick smile.

Frank slides into the front passenger’s seat and then Jonah shuts the door behind him as he’s buckling his seatbelt. Jonah then walks around to the other side of the vehicle and opens the driver’s side door before getting in and pressing the push-start button. 

The engine revs up and Jonah smiles. “I fuckin’ love that sound,” he says passionately, gripping the steering wheel, feeling the vibrations from the rumbling engine beneath his palms. He then puts his seatbelt on and turns the music up loud before he _skrrts_ off down the street, causing Frank to feel his back suddenly being pressed up against the back of the seat from the sudden and intense acceleration.

There’s no point in the two of them talking during the ride because the music and the engine are too loud for them to even hear each other’s voices over the sound. Jonah’s definitely driving well-above the speed limit and texting on his phone at times as he does; Frank can tell he’s watching for the cops the whole time. The recklessness of it all feels very exhilarating to Frank and he finds himself smiling as they speed down the highway, with Jonah weaving in and out of lanes, between cars, just for fun it seems as it’s not like they’re in a hurry to be somewhere by a specific time or anything.

A little while later, Jonah pulls the car into an empty parking lot where there are several young people clad in skater fashion hanging out. A few guys are skating and someone is filming them doing tricks as others cheer them on. After doing a quick count Frank thinks there’s about fifteen people there in total.

Jonah puts the car in park and then takes off his seatbelt and turns off the engine as several people begin to walk over to the lime-green Beamer that’s bumping SoundCloud rap music so loudly that Frank can feel the bass vibrating in his chest. Frank takes off his seatbelt, too, and then follows suit as Jonah gets out of the car and leaves the door open. He feels a bit out of place and intimidated as all of Jonah’s friends are older than him and many of them have tattoos and facial piercings, and a few of them have hair that’s dyed with unconventional colours. Frank walks around the front of the vehicle until he’s standing next to Jonah, who’s beginning to greet his crew.

“Jones,” says a guy with a bridge piercing and several tattoos on his dark-brown skin as he walks up to Jonah and Frank, carrying a bottle of Sprite in one hand. Frank curiously notices that the colour of the drink in the bottle looks a bit off... “Damn...sick ride, bruh,” the guy says, eyeing the Beamer.

Jonah and the guy exchange a quick handshake-hug. “Thanks, man. What’s good?”

“Just out here havin’ a good time,” says the guy, seeming like he’s high on something by the way he’s talking and the way his eyelids look heavy.

“You bring your girl?”

“Yeah, she around, prolly off somewhere bein’ sexy,” says the guy. “This your boy?” he asks, looking over at Frank now. 

“Yeah, this is Frankie,” Jonah says, putting his arm around Frank’s shoulders.

“‘Sup, Frankie?” says the guy coolly with a small nod. “I’m Tracy.”

“Hey,” says Frank a bit awkwardly, not really knowing what else to say.

Tracy looks at Jonah again. “So, you sellin’ or just chillin’?”

“Y’know I’m always doin’ both, man,” says Jonah with a small chuckle. “What you wanna buy?”

“Coke ‘n’ xans,” says Tracy. “Usual price?” he asks before taking a sip from the bottle of discoloured Sprite in his hand. 

“You got it, homie,” says Jonah, reaching into the pocket of his hoodie while Frank just stands there apprehensively as he watches this conspicuous drug deal going down. “You sippin’ on lean?” Jonah asks, looking up again as he produces a little bag of coke and a little bag of small, white pills from his pocket. 

Tracy smirks as he takes a thick wad of cash out of his pocket. “You know I always got that dirty Sprite on me,” he says. The two men exchange the goods they’re holding in their hands; Jonah doesn’t count the cash before he pockets it. Tracy then fist bumps Jonah and tells him he’ll see him later before he goes off to find his girl, presumably to sample some of the drugs he’s just bought.

“How much money did you make on that deal?” asks Frank, just curious.

“I always sell to Tracy for a lower price since we’re best friends, but I made like two hundred off that deal,” says Jonah casually.

“Holy shit,” says Frank, impressed that Jonah can make that much money by simply exchanging a few words with someone. “No wonder you can afford to drive such a badass car.”

Jonah chuckles. “Yeah, I do pretty well, I guess,” he says with a shrug. 

Frank shakes his head, realizing something. “How could you drive the way you did on the way here with all those drugs on you? You could have easily gotten pulled over and you would’ve been arrested on the spot if the cops had searched you.”

Jonah shrugs again. “I live fast; I don’t got time to give a fuck ‘bout shit that prolly won’t even happen,” he says. He takes out another little bag of coke from his hoodie and then takes his keys out of the pocket of his jeans which are attached to his red Supreme lanyard. Frank watches as Jonah opens the bag and dips the end of one of his keys inside, scooping up a little bump of coke on the end of it before snorting it like it’s nothing.

Jonah then looks over at Frank and smirks when he notices the kid biting his lip and staring at him. “What? That turn you on or something?” he asks teasingly, rubbing his nose and sniffing a bit.

Frank blushes, realizing that he _is_ pretty turned on by the sheer fact that Jonah just does whatever the fuck he wants to. “Yeah, it kinda does,” he admits with a coy smile.

Jonah smirks even more and puts his arm around Frank’s waist, holding him close, making the boy feel all warm suddenly. “Wanna make out with me in the back of the Beamer?”

Frank bites his bottom lip again and nods, staring longingly at Jonah’s kissable lips. “Yeah,” he says intensely.

“Aight. I just gotta sell to a few more people, show a couple homies the new whip and then we can chill, ‘kay?”

“Okay,” says Frank, nodding, smiling.

Frank follows Jonah around as he does the things he says he’s going to do; sell more drugs and show off his new car to more of his friends. Frank still feels really out of place amongst all of Jonah’s “cool” older friends and he’s pretty sure that Jonah can tell he’s a bit intimidated since he’s not talking as much as he usually does. But, he goes along, just greeting everyone that Jonah introduces him to and awkwardly standing off to the side while the guy deals his drugs. 

Soon, Jonah seems to be finished making his rounds and then takes Frank back over to the car. He leans forward one of the front seats of the coupe so that Frank can carefully climb into the backseat and then he follows behind the kid, sitting down next to him with an arm wrapped snugly around his small waist. The music is still bumping loudly and the two doors are still open, allowing the cool night air to mix with the lingering new-car-smell inside of the Beamer. Frank is glad for the bit of privacy that the tinted back windows provide as he sits in the backseat with Jonah. 

It’s not long before Jonah leans in and kisses Frank hard on the lips, taking the boy’s breath away. Frank feels Jonah’s lips begin to form into a smile against his own and he immediately smiles, too; it’s been a while since they’ve been close like this and he’s now realizing just how much he’s missed it. Frank reaches up and puts his arms over Jonah’s shoulders, tangling his fingers in the guy’s bright-pink hair as they make out intensely, and Jonah slips his hands underneath the hem of Frank’s hoodie, placing them firmly on his slender hips, squeezing them needily. Jonah then mumbles something against Frank’s lips but Frank can’t make it out over the sound of the loud music.

Frank leans in close with his mouth right up against Jonah’s ear. “What’d you say?”

Jonah leans in close with his lips at Frank’s ear now. “I said: you’re so fuckin’ hot...” he replies smoothly, now slowly moving his lips down the side of Frank’s neck in a trail of moist kisses.

Frank smiles and moans softly from the pleasant feeling of Jonah’s lips on his skin. “You think so?” he asks coyly.

Jonah pulls back and Frank feels his dick twitch when he sees the sexy smirk on the guy’s face. Jonah then grasps Frank’s wrist and guides his hand until it’s resting on the firm bulge at the front of his jeans. “Feel that?” he asks, staring at Frank with his ultra-dilated pupils. Frank nods and swallows hard, so turned on by feeling Jonah’s firm cock beneath his palm. “That’s what you fuckin’ do to me, boy,” Jonah says, his eyes smouldering with lust as he stares at Frank. “You want it?”

Frank doesn’t know what to say; he definitely wants Jonah’s cock but they’re sitting in the back of the car with its two doors open and fifteen people hanging around outside of it—he definitely isn’t expecting to be able to do anything with the guy right now. Anyhow, unable to hold back, Frank leans in and firmly presses his lips against Jonah’s while slowly rubbing his hand up and down the guy’s hard cock through the fabric of his jeans, causing him to moan into Frank’s mouth as he plays with the boy’s hair. After a while of making out, Jonah reaches down and begins to undo the button and zipper on his jeans, causing Frank to part their lips in surprise.

“What are you doing?” asks Frank breathily, staring down into Jonah’s lap where the guy’s hands are pulling down the zipper on his jeans.

“Takin’ my dick out. What’s it look like?” says Jonah, smirking playfully as he lifts his ass up and pulls his pants and boxers down to his mid-thighs, exposing himself.

Frank is speechless now, just staring down at Jonah’s beautiful cock. It’s definitely not as big as Gerard’s but it looks so fucking hard and perfect and Frank just can’t deal. “Oh my God...” he says, still staring, unsure if Jonah had even heard him speak over the sound of the music.

“Really want you to suck it...” says Jonah, causing Frank to finally look up at him again. 

“I want to, but, your friends are around...” says Frank apprehensively. 

“So?” Jonah says with a smirk. “The music’s loud, the windows back here are tinted and besides—it’s my fuckin’ car.”

Frank bites his lip and shakes his head, even more turned on now by Jonah’s complete willingness to receive a blowjob in this semi-public setting. “We’re not gonna get in trouble or anything?”

“In trouble? D’you see your mom around?” says Jonah with a bit of a chuckle when he notices Frank blushing after his comment. “Don’t worry, it’s cool, Frankie,” he says reassuringly before leaning in and softly kissing Frank for a moment.

When Jonah pulls back, Frank smiles and carefully lowers himself into the small space between the back and front seats and kneels down in front of Jonah with his hands resting on the guy’s mid-thighs where the top edge of his pants and boxers are sitting. Frank then leans over and gently sucks the head of Jonah’s cock into his warm, wet mouth, causing Jonah to immediately moan and lean his head back against the leather seat as the fingers of one of his hands begin to tangle in the back of Frank’s dark hair as the boy starts bobbing his head up and down, sucking on the full length now.

“Damn, that’s fuckin’ nice, bro,” says Jonah, looking down at Frank as the boy swirls his tongue around the head of his cock before taking it deep again. 

Frank looks up at Jonah with his mouth full of cock and the two of them hold the stare while Frank continues to pleasure Jonah.

“Fuck yeah, that’s so sexy how you’re lookin’ up at me...Gerard taught you well,” Jonah says with a smirk.

Frank feels his dick twitch at the mention of Gerard and he wants to smile but instead he just takes Jonah’s cock even further into his mouth, wanting to impress him by showing him how well he can deepthroat. He goes all the way down until he can’t anymore as Jonah’s cock is halfway down his throat.

“Holy _fuck_ , Frankie,” Jonah moans, throwing his head back against the seat again, sounding like he’s completely losing it from how good Frank’s making his dick feel.

Frank feels his gag reflex being stimulated and so he pulls off, coming up for air with strings of saliva connecting his lips to Jonah’s cock as he breathes hard, feeling his eyes water a bit from gagging. Jonah looks down at Frank again and Frank looks up at him and then Jonah leans over and kisses Frank hard on the lips, not seeming to care at all that Frank has saliva all over his lips and chin. When they part, Frank takes Jonah’s cock right back into his mouth, using one of his hands on the shaft now as he sucks on the head. Frank looks up at Jonah, watching as the guy’s eyes slip closed for a moment as he runs a hand through his bright-pink hair, then opening them again and staring down at Frank with his eyes smouldering with lust. 

“You’re fuckin’ so good at that, bro,” Jonah says. “Feels so fuckin’ nice.”

A second later Frank freezes when he hears someone sit down in the front seat. An unfamiliar voice then begins to speak. “Yo, Jones, can I change the so—oh shit, sorry, man; didn’t realize you were gettin’ top back there...” the voice says as the person quickly gets out of the car.

“It’s cool, just keep goin’, Frankie,” says Jonah, looking down and seeing the embarrassed look on Frank’s face. “That was just my buddy, Paulo—he’s cool.”

Frank realizes that Jonah doesn’t seem phased at all by the unexpected interruption so he continues with the blowjob. Frank deepthroats Jonah’s cock again, making him moan the loudest he has yet, causing Frank to feel pleased with himself for making the guy feel so good. After a while, Jonah starts pulling Frank up with his hands hooked underneath the boy’s armpits. Frank gets up off his knees and lets Jonah pull him onto his lap so that he’s facing him while straddling his legs.

“I woulda come from that in like a minute if I was sober,” Jonah says, slipping his hands underneath Frank’s hoodie and placing them on the kid’s bare hips. 

Frank smiles and leans in, kissing Jonah softly on the lips and draping his arms over the guy’s shoulders, playing with his bright-pink hair as they make out. He pulls away after a while and then speaks. “Were you close?”

“Yeah, really fuckin’ close,” says Jonah, now leaning in and kissing Frank’s neck, sucking on a particular spot, probably leaving a mark. 

“Why’d you pull me up here then?” asks Frank, enjoying the feel of Jonah’s lips on his skin.

“‘Cause I wanna fuck,” Jonah replies casually with a little smirk on his face, now looking at Frank. “You want to?”

Frank feels his stomach flip-flop pleasantly upon hearing Jonah’s response, realizing that he really wants that, too. “Yeah, I want to,” he says. “Do you have a condom?”

“Yeah,” says Jonah, reaching down into his pocket and taking out a small, square packet which the condom is in. He holds it between his teeth while he reaches down and undoes the button and zipper on Frank’s jeans. “Lift up real quick,” he says. Frank lifts up momentarily so that Jonah can tug his pants and boxers down to his mid-thighs and then Frank sits down on Jonah’s lap again with his cock and ass exposed now.

Jonah reaches down between them and wraps his hand around Frank’s hard cock, all the while still looking at him, watching him as he begins to slowly stroke it back and forth. Frank moans as he pulls the condom packet out from between Jonah’s teeth and then crashes their lips together as his body almost vibrates with pleasure from finally being touched like this by Jonah. Jonah pulls back suddenly and takes the condom back from Frank, tearing the packet open with his teeth before reaching down between them and rolling the rubber onto his dick.

“Are you gonna use lube or spit or anything?” asks Frank, a little worried.

Jonah smiles. “The condom’s already pre-lubed, don’t worry.”

Frank smiles back, relieved. “Okay.”

“You ready?”

Frank nods. “Yeah.”

“‘Kay. Lift your ass up again for a sec.”

Frank lifts up and then Jonah reaches down and guides the head of his dick to Frank’s hole, prompting the boy to begin to slowly lower himself down onto it while he and Jonah stare each other down intensely. Frank’s hole hasn’t been prepped at all so he’s pretty tight, and when the head of Jonah’s cock finally enters him it stings and he whimpers a bit.

“You good?” asks Jonah, kissing Frank softly for a second. “You’re so fuckin’ tight, goddamn...”

“It kinda hurts...” says Frank. “Just need to hold still for a minute to get used to it.”

“‘Kay, just lemme know when you’re good to keep goin’,” says Jonah, kissing Frank again.

The two of them make out for a while, listening to the music bumping and the background sounds of skateboard wheels hitting concrete and people talking and laughing outside of the car. Then, Frank tells Jonah they can keep going and he starts to lower himself down even more onto his cock, feeling used to the stretch now.

“Bro, you’re so fuckin’ tight, holy shit,” Jonah says breathily, chuckling a bit. He leans his head back against the seat and tightly grips Frank’s bare hips once his cock is all the way inside of him. “Gonna make me come so quick...”

Frank kisses Jonah hard on the mouth and they make out intensely while Jonah starts thrusting his hips upwards as Frank rides his cock. Frank starts moaning into Jonah’s mouth when he feels the guy’s cock begin to hit his prostate and then Jonah moves his hands down to cup Frank’s ass as they fuck. 

“Am I gettin’ your spot? That why you’re soundin’ all sexy like that?” asks Jonah against Frank’s lips. 

“Yeah, keep fucking me right there,” says Frank needily, making Jonah smirk and then kiss him hard again.

“You like it on my dick, baby?” Jonah asks teasingly, thrusting up into Frank’s sweet-spot even harder now while squeezing the boy’s asscheeks. 

“Yeah, feels so fucking good,” says Frank breathily. He’s pretty sure they’re shaking the entire car now and that it’s obvious to everyone outside of it that they’re fucking in here, but he doesn’t even care right now.

“Wish I could see your ass...feels so damn sexy,” says Jonah, his voice shaking a bit, sounding like he’s close.

“Are you gonna come?” asks Frank, riding Jonah faster now, eager to get him off for the first time.

“Fuck yeah, I’m gonna come...” says Jonah, half-moaning as his body goes rigid and he throws his head back against the seat, squeezing his eyes shut as he shoots his load into the condom inside of Frank.

Frank slows down his pace as Jonah sits there breathing hard from his intense orgasm and he leans in and kisses the guy’s neck softly, just waiting for him to regain his composure. 

“That was fuckin’ amazing,” says Jonah after a while, now looking at Frank again.

Frank smiles and gives Jonah a kiss before he lifts himself off of his dick and pulls up his pants and boxers before climbing off of him and sitting on the seat beside him. He’s thinking about Gerard and hoping he won’t be upset with him for fucking Jonah, even though the man had already told him he was okay with it.

“You got your pants back on already? I ain’t even get you off yet,” says Jonah, sounding a little disappointed as he watches Frank zip and button up his pants while his dick is still hard.

“It’s okay,” says Frank with a little shrug. “You can get me off next time; I don’t wanna get cum on your seats or anything.”

Jonah then carefully takes off the condom, ties the open end of it and tosses it out the car door and onto the ground. “Fertilizer,” he says with a shrug as Frank laughs a bit and shakes his head. Jonah then pulls up his pants and boxers, zips and buttons his pants and then scoots closer to Frank and puts his arm around him before leaning in and kissing him gently. “Did you have fun?” he asks after a while of making out.

“Yeah, it was awesome,” says Frank, smiling as Jonah starts kissing his neck.

“Can I take you home with me? Wanna fuck you all night...make you come...” says Jonah into the crook of Frank’s neck, still kissing him all over.

Frank feels a pleasant shiver of arousal pass through his body at hearing Jonah’s words. He’s definitely still horny and what Jonah’s offering sounds pretty amazing to him, but he doesn’t want to break his promise to Gerard of coming home tonight. Besides, Frank is already worried that Gerard will change his mind about all of this and be upset with him once he hears what he’s done. “Gerard wants me home by one, remember?” he says.

Jonah groans playfully and then pulls back, smiling. “I know; I just can’t get enough of you...” he says, looking at Frank lustfully. “What time is it now?”

Frank reaches into the pocket of his hoodie and takes out his phone to check the time. “It’s twelve-thirty.”

“Damn,” says Jonah with a sigh. “Guess I gotta get you home...”

“Yeah, Gerard’s waiting up for me,” he says, feeling eager to get home and see his boyfriend.

“Aight. Lemme go say bye to the guys and then we can bounce, ‘kay?”

“Okay,” says Frank. “Can I just stay in here while you go do that? Everyone out there knows we were fucking and I’m kind of embarrassed about it...”

“No one’s gonna judge you or anything, Frankie—these guys are cool, I promise,” says Jonah reassuringly. “Besides, I kinda just wanna show you off again,” he admits with a somewhat shy smile.

Frank smiles back, feeling kinda flattered after Jonah’s last comment. “Okay.”

Jonah gives Frank a kiss. “Thanks,” he says. “C’mon, let’s go,” he says before getting up and climbing out of the car.

Frank follows Jonah out of the car and is surprised when the guy takes his hand and holds it as they walk up to his friends to say goodbye. They make their way around and when they get to Paulo he apologizes for ‘walking’ in on them earlier in the car. 

“Ah, it’s all good, man,” says Jonah with a wave of his hand. “Y’all stickin’ around or goin’ somewhere else to party?”

“I dunno,” says Paulo with a shrug. “Prolly gonna link up with Tracy later, maybe chill at his place or something. You guys heading to yours?”

“Nah—I wish,” says Jonah with a chuckle. “I’m just takin’ Frankie home to his boyfriend,” he says. “I can’t find Tracy, but tell him I’ll come chill with y’all after I drop him off. I’m basically sober right now; need to dose up...”

“Aight, homie, see you later,” says Paulo, fist-bumping Jonah. “Nice meeting you, Frankie,” he adds.

“Yeah, you too,” says Frank.

Jonah and Frank then go back over to the Beamer and get into the front seats and Jonah revs the engine a few times before speeding off down the street, giving Frank another rush of adrenaline. The music’s still loud and Frank notices that Jonah still seems to be full of energy even though it’s going on one o’clock in the morning. He silently wonders just how sober the guy actually is...

They get to Gerard’s apartment building quickly due to the combination of how fast Jonah’s driving and the lack of traffic on the roads at this time. Once he parks the car, Jonah turns down the music and takes off his seatbelt.

“Did you have fun?” asks Jonah for the second time tonight.

“Yeah, I did,” says Frank, nodding. 

“You sure? You’re allowed to say “no,”” says Jonah with a small smile.

Frank smiles. “Yeah, I’m sure,” he says. “I just felt kinda out of place. Your friends are all older than me and, like... _cool_ and shit. I just felt like I didn’t really fit in,” he continues. “But, other than that, I had a good time.”

Jonah shakes his head. “Frankie, you’re cool as hell,” he says, making Frank blush. “And, all my friends liked you. Next time we’ll hang out in a smaller group; maybe that’ll be more comfortable for you. You think so?”

“Yeah, that sounds good,” says Frank, nodding.

“Sweet,” says Jonah just before he leans in and kisses Frank softly.

Frank kisses back and unbuckles his seatbelt so he can lean in closer to Jonah. The two of them just sit there making out in the car for a while until Frank pulls back, remembering that Gerard is waiting up for him.

“Hey, I should probably go; it’s almost one...” says Frank, looking at the digital clock on the console of the car.

“Yeah, you should before Gerard decides to never let me take you out again,” Jonah says with a smirk. “Lemme walk you up.”

“Okay,” says Frank, his insides feeling all warm and fluffy from Jonah’s thoughtful gesture.

They both get out of the car and then head into the building and up the elevator to Gerard’s floor, holding hands the entire way until they get to the door of the apartment. 

“Thanks for walking me up here.”

“Yeah, no worries; happy to,” says Jonah with a shrug.

“You’re really sweet,” says Frank, blushing as he does. He’s not even really sure why he says it out loud; it just comes out and then he feels all shy about it.

Jonah smiles the most genuine smile Frank has seen on his face all night. “Fuck, I wish you could come chill with me at Tracy’s—you’d have so much fun. He and Paulo are like my favourite people in the world besides you.”

Frank bites his lip, for some reason trying to hold back his smile and not seem too giddy about hearing that he’s one of Jonah’s favourite people in the world. “Well, just invite me next time, like you said,” he says casually.

“Yeah, I definitely will,” says Jonah. “It was cool spendin’ time with you again.”

“Yeah, it really was,” says Frank, smiling. He can’t stop fucking smiling at this sweet, pink-haired kid. 

Jonah then pulls Frank into a hug, tightly wrapping his arms around the boy’s waist as Frank drapes his arms over the taller guy’s shoulders, hugging him back. 

“See you later, bro,” Jonah says as he pulls away.

Frank smirks. “You ever gonna stop calling me that?” he asks. “I think it’s pretty clear that I’m not just your “bro” anymore...”

Jonah chuckles. “Well, I ain’t your boyfriend either, so...I ain’t gonna stop,” he says just before planting a gentle kiss on Frank’s cheek, making the boy blush yet again. He then takes out his phone and checks the time. “‘Kay, I’ma bounce, aight? It’s just about one now.”

“Okay,” says Frank. “Have fun with the guys.”

“Thanks. I’ll see ya later,” Jonah says, smiling as he walks away down the hall back towards the elevator.

Frank then unlocks and opens the door to the apartment. As soon as he walks in, he sees Gerard sitting down on the couch with the TV turned onto some show on the Discovery channel that Frank’s not even sure if the man is paying attention to as he’s also looking over some paperwork. Gerard immediately looks up from what he’s doing and sets the papers aside when he sees Frank walk in, and smiles as the kid comes over to him with an equally as fond smile on his own face. Frank doesn’t even take his shoes off before going over to Gerard, just eager to fall into his arms, to know that his boyfriend still loves him despite his activities with Jonah tonight.

“Hey, baby,” Gerard says, pulling Frank down onto his lap and wrapping his arms around him. “Did you have a good time?”

“Yeah,” says Frank, going in for a kiss right away. He’s surprised when Gerard turns his head before their lips make contact. “What?” he asks worriedly.

“You don’t smell like you; you smell like him...” says Gerard, lightly brushing his thumb along Frank’s bottom lip. “...like Axe and cigarettes and sex.”

“Oh...” says Frank, averting his gaze away from Gerard’s, thinking that the man is upset with him. “Sorry.”

“You don’t need to apologize,” says Gerard gently. “Just...maybe could you go take a shower before we get close? I laid some clothes out on the bed for you.”

”Yeah, okay,” says Frank, nodding, just eager to please Gerard as always. “You still love me, right?” he asks, looking up at the man with puppy eyes.

Gerard smiles. “Don’t be silly—you know I love you, baby boy,” he says, smoothing Frank’s hair affectionately. “I love you so much.”

Frank smiles back, feeling relieved by hearing Gerard’s response. “I love you, too.”

“Now, go take that shower and then come back and tell me about your night.”

“Okay,” says Frank, kissing Gerard on the cheek before he gets off of his lap and makes his way into the bedroom.

On the bed, Frank sees the lacy, black, assless panties that Gerard had gotten for him months ago as a gift neatly laid out. He smirks to himself when he realizes that this is what Gerard had cheekily meant when he said “clothes.” Frank takes off his shoes, hoodie, jeans and boxers and then heads into the en-suite bathroom to take a quick shower, washing the smell of Jonah off of himself. When he’s finished, he dries off and then goes over to the bed and puts on the lacy panties. He checks himself out in the mirror, feeling sexy with his ass exposed from the ‘easy access’ design of the lingerie.

Frank then goes back out into the living room and is pleased when he sees Gerard’s jaw basically drop as the man watches him walk into the room wearing the tiny piece of lingerie that basically leaves nothing to the imagination. As he stares lustfully, Gerard shifts around a bit in the spot where he’s sitting on the couch and Frank bites his lower lip when he notices the large tent forming at the front of the man’s grey sweatpants.

“Holy shit...” says Gerard to himself, running a hand through his dark hair, obviously flustered by seeing Frank in those sexy panties.

Frank can’t help but to smile, pleased by the effect he’s having on Gerard. “Is this what you wanted to see me in, daddy?” he asks coyly as he walks up to the man until he’s standing right in front of him.

“Yeah, baby,” says Gerard, nodding and biting his lip as he ogles Frank’s nearly naked body. “Turn around; let me see that ass...” he says softly but firmly.

Frank obediently turns around so he’s facing away from Gerard now and he hears the man sit up a little more on the couch when he does. 

“Oh my God...” Gerard says under his breath just before Frank feels his strong hands begin feeling up his asscheeks. “The way your ass looks in these...so fucking sexy, baby,” he says softly.

Frank already feels his dick getting hard just from the way Gerard’s speaking to him and touching him right now. “Yeah? You like it, daddy?” he asks.

“Fuck yeah...” says Gerard, squeezing Frank’s asscheeks and roughly spreading them apart now, making the boy moan softly. “Why’s that little hole already stretched out for me, hmm? Tell daddy why...” says Gerard, now beginning to slowly finger Frank’s hole with two saliva-moistened fingers while the boy stands there in front of him, moaning and whimpering softly as his dick stiffens even more in his panties.

“Daddy, please...” Frank moans, squeezing his eyes shut as Gerard’s fingertips brush against his prostate, sending a rush of pleasure throughout his body. 

“Have you been naughty, baby boy? That why you’re all loosened up for me already?” asks Gerard, still fingering Frank while his other hand tightly grips onto the boy’s left hip.

“Y-yes, daddy,” Frank admits, half-moaning.

“Did you let Jonah fuck this hole?” asks Gerard just before curling his two fingers deep inside of Frank, making the kid’s knees feel weak from how good it feels.

“Yes, daddy,” Frank moans loudly, loving the intense pleasure he’s feeling from having his prostate stimulated continuously.

“God, you’ve been so fucking naughty tonight...” says Gerard. He pulls his fingers out of Frank’s hole and spins him around to face him. “You know I need to punish you now, don’t you, boy?” he asks, looking up at Frank with a slight smirk on his face.

“Yes, daddy,” says Frank breathily, nodding as he looks down at Gerard, wondering how exactly he’s planning on punishing him.

“C’mere, lie down across my lap—ass up,” says Gerard, pulling Frank down so he’s lying across his legs, just the way he wants. “Now, tell me what you did tonight,” he orders, rubbing Frank’s perky asscheeks all over.

“Jonah took me to this empty parking lot where his friends were hanging out and skating and stuff. He just got this new lime-green Beamer—a two-seater—and he left the music on loud with the doors open while everyone was hanging out. Eventually he asked me if I wanted to go make out with him in the backseat and I said yeah, so we did...” Frank begins.

“I’m guessing you didn’t just make out back there...” says Gerard, now spreading Frank’s asscheeks apart and dripping a glob of warm saliva down onto his hole before pressing two fingers into him again.

“ _Fuck_ , daddy...” Frank moans into the seat of the couch as Gerard pleasures him.

“What else did you and Jonah do in the back of the car besides make out?” Gerard asks, his voice sounding calm and soothing and interested.

“I started sucking his dick...” says Frank, half-moaning again as Gerard continues to finger him deeply. He feels Gerard’s cock twitch beneath him and he bites his lip, realizing that the man is getting turned on by hearing about his sexual activities with Jonah. 

“You sucked his dick with everyone still around outside?” asks Gerard, and Frank can hear the eyebrow-raise in his voice.

“Yeah,” says Frank. “Someone even came and sat in the front seat at one point, but then they got out right away when they realized what we were doing back there,” he says.

“Baby...that’s so fucking naughty,” says Gerard just before firmly spanking Frank’s ass with his free hand.

Frank moans when he feels the stinging contact of Gerard’s palm against his asscheeks, loving the mix of pleasure and pain from Gerard spanking him and relentlessly stimulating his prostate at the same time.

“He told me you taught me well ‘cause I was looking up at him while I was sucking his dick,” says Frank. “I was deepthroating him, too, and he just about fucking lost his mind.”

“Fuck, that’s so hot, baby...” says Gerard breathily, spanking Frank again. “I’m supposed to be “punishing” you but I honestly just want you to keep telling me more...”

“It’s okay, daddy; I like telling you,” says Frank sweetly, super turned on by the fact that Gerard wants to hear everything. “He pulled me up onto his lap before he had a chance to come, and he told me he wanted to fuck; asked me if I wanted to...” Frank continues. “I said yeah and he just pulled my pants down a bit, put a condom on and then put his dick in me. We both still had all our clothes on...” he goes on.

“Did you like how his dick felt inside you?” asks Gerard intensely, his cock twitching again beneath Frank’s body again as he shifts around a bit, obviously becoming increasingly turned on. “Did he hit your spot?” he asks, suddenly twisting his two fingers inside of Frank, fingering him hard and fast, rubbing repeatedly against his sensitive prostate.

Frank moans loudly and arches his back. “Yes, daddy,” he says, eager to get off. “He kept telling me how fucking tight I was; told me I was gonna make him come so quick...”

“Goddamn...” Gerard moans, obviously incredibly turned on now which is making Frank even more turned on. “Did you come while he was fucking you?” 

“No,” says Frank, squirming around a bit on top of Gerard’s lap, realizing how close he is now just from being fingered. “He wanted to get me off after he came, but I dunno... I guess I was just thinking about you. I just told him I didn’t wanna get my cum on his seats as an excuse.”

Gerard chuckles a bit and smiles. “You’re sweet, baby...” he says, gently rubbing Frank’s back for a moment with his free hand.

“After that, he asked me if he could take me home with him because he wanted to fuck me all night and make me come...”

“Fuck, that sounds super hot, baby,” says Gerard. “Bet you kinda wanted him to, didn’t you, naughty boy?” he asks, suddenly fingering him the deepest he has yet.

Frank moans loudly and bites the fabric of the couch hard as he arches his back. “Yes, daddy...” he admits, still moaning into the seat of the couch as Gerard fingers him. 

Gerard spanks Frank’s ass hard again, making the boy moan even louder. “You gonna be a good boy for daddy now?” he asks teasingly. “If you’re a good boy, then maybe I’ll let you come...”

“Yes, please, daddy...I’ll be a good boy for you; I’ll do anything you want,” says Frank, sounding desperate and needy as he looks back at Gerard over his shoulder.

“You can start with sucking my dick,” says Gerard as he slowly pulls his two fingers out of Frank’s hole. Frank gets off of Gerard’s lap and eagerly kneels down on the carpeted floor. “Good boy. Just hold on a sec...” Gerard says as he gets up from the couch.

“Okay,” says Frank, watching as Gerard goes into the kitchen to wash his hands at the sink.

“Damn, your ass really looks so fucking sexy in those panties, Frankie,” says Gerard as he walks back into the room, staring at Frank’s exposed ass as the boy kneels there on the floor in front of the couch. 

Frank blushes and sticks his ass out a bit more as he kneels there. “Thank you, daddy,” he says.

Gerard chuckles and smirks a bit. “You _know_ you’re sexy, too, don’t you? I fucking love that,” he says as he hooks his arms underneath Frank’s armpits, pulls him up and sits him down on the couch. 

Frank looks up at Gerard curiously, wondering why he wants him sitting and not kneeling, and it becomes clear to him when Gerard pulls down his sweatpants and boxers, revealing his large, hard cock as he steps out of his clothing and tosses the garments to the side. Gerard then pulls off his T-shirt and Frank stares up at the man’s six-pack abs and large, muscular shoulders and arms before his eyes inevitably trail back down to stare at his huge cock. 

“I don’t want you on your knees, sweet boy,” says Gerard, placing one of his large hands on the back of Frank’s head, tangling his fingers in the boy’s wavy hair which is curling cutely around his ears. “It’s more comfortable for you up here,” he says, answering Frank’s unspoken question while gently pushing the boy’s mouth towards his cock, which he’s holding at the base with the hand that’s not in Frank’s hair.

Frank looks up at Gerard as he eagerly takes the head of the man’s cock into his mouth and watches keenly as the man’s eyes slip shut and his mouth falls open to let out a pleasant, low groan as Frank begins to move his lips up and down the shaft now, swirling his tongue around the head every time he comes back up. 

“Fuck, baby...feels so damn good,” says Gerard. He opens his eyes and looks down at the boy, his gaze now intense and lust-filled as Frank continues to pleasure him. He moves the hand that’s around his cock over to join the other one that’s on the back of Frank’s head, now holding his head steady while he begins to thrust his hips forward, sinking his cock deep into Frank’s waiting mouth each time. 

Frank continues to stare up at Gerard as the man fucks his mouth, tightly grabbing his hair now and beginning to quicken his pace. Frank is loving the feeling of Gerard just using his mouth for his own pleasure; it makes him feel naughty and sexy and he loves the way Gerard’s looking down at him so intensely. 

“Relax your throat some more, Frankie,” Gerard instructs.

Frank nods a bit and does what Gerard says, trying to relax his throat muscles some more so that he can take Gerard’s cock deeper down it.

“Yeah, that’s it, baby...” Gerard says breathily, still staring down at Frank as he basically chokes on the man’s huge cock. “Suck that fucking dick, boy...yeah, just like that...”

Frank begins to moan from how turned on he is by Gerard’s dirty-talk as he stares up at the man and it seems to drive Gerard crazy which makes Frank moan even louder, just feeling so needy for Gerard’s cock right down his tiny throat.

“Mmm...you’re such a good boy, Frankie; such a good boy for daddy...” Gerard moans, his fingers tightening their grip, still tangled in Frank’s hair. “Look at those pretty eyes,” he says, just before he pulls his cock out of Frank’s mouth and leans over to kiss him softly on the lips.

“More, daddy...” Frank whines against Gerard’s lips, reaching for the man’s cock and wrapping one of his hands around it. 

Gerard smirks and moves Frank’s hand away. “No more, baby. I’m gonna come too quickly if you keep going; you’re too fucking good at that,” he says. “C’mere...” he adds before wrapping his arms firmly around Frank’s waist and then easily hoisting him up over one of his shoulders, holding him tightly around his upper thighs with one arm.

Frank gasps in surprise as Gerard carries him and begins walking towards the bedroom. “You’re so strong, daddy...” he says, loving being carried like this.

“And you’re so fucking small and cute, baby,” says Gerard, affectionately. “I love how I’m like three times your size,” he adds just before he lies Frank down on his back on top of the queen size bed and grabs a small bottle of lube from off of the bedside table.

Frank smiles up at Gerard as the man then gets on top of him and kisses him deeply. Frank sighs pleasantly into the kiss and wraps his legs around Gerard’s waist before bringing his arms up to wrap around Gerard’s broad, muscular shoulders.

Gerard moves his mouth to Frank’s ear, kissing it gingerly before whispering into it. “Do you want me to make love to you, baby boy?” he asks teasingly, lightly kissing Frank’s ear a few more times, sending pleasant shivers down his spine.

“Yes, please, daddy,” says Frank, his voice coming out a little shaky from how aroused he is. “Want that so bad...”

“Yeah?” says Gerard, smiling a bit as he lifts himself up off of Frank and sits back on his knees, grabbing the bottle of lube from where he’d tossed it on the blanket. He flips open the bottle cap and squeezes a generous amount of the clear, colourless, water-based lubricant onto his fingers before coating his dick with it as well as working some into Frank’s hole as the boy lies there with his legs spread open and his knees pulled back against his chest. ”Are you my good boy, baby?” asks Gerard as he begins to press the head of his cock against Frank’s slightly stretched out hole.

Frank lets out a soft moan, enjoying the firm pressure of Gerard pressing into his tightness. “Yes, daddy,” he replies breathily, looking up at the man. Frank feels Gerard’s hairy, muscular thighs pressing up against his soft, smooth asscheeks as the man’s cock suddenly enters him, causing him to gasp and arch his back from the wide stretch. 

“Like that? You like how daddy’s big cock is stretching out that little hole of yours?” asks Gerard, his cock now all the way inside of the boy. 

“Fuck yes, daddy...you feel so fucking good inside me,” Frank moans, grabbing fistfuls of the blanket beneath him as the head of Gerard’s cock hits his prostate. 

Gerard lets out a shaky breath as if trying to stop himself from coming already. “Goddamn...you’re still so tight even after Jonah fucking you,” he says breathily, speeding up his pace now and sharply thrusting his hips forward repeatedly, getting Frank’s spot really good. 

“Oh my fucking God,” Frank moans, squeezing his eyes shut and arching his back again, feeling like he’s gonna come without even touching himself. 

“Yeah? That the spot?” asks Gerard teasingly, sharply thrusting his cock into Frank’s hole once again. 

“ _Daddy_...fuck yes, that’s the spot,” Frank moans loudly, opening his eyes when he feels Gerard’s hand slip down into the front of his panties and start jerking his cock back and forth as he fucks into him hard. 

“Yeah, that’s it, boy...take daddy’s big dick,” Gerard says in a low, lust-filled voice. “No one fucks you like I do, isn’t that right, baby?”

“Yes, daddy,” Frank moans, letting his eyes slip shut again, feeling so close to coming with how Gerard’s large fist is working his hard cock back and forth.

“Want you to look up at me and tell me, Frankie,” Gerard orders.

Frank opens his eyes again and he can tell that Gerard is super close to coming, too, by the way he’s biting his lip and staring so intensely down at him. “No one fucks me like you fuck me, daddy,” he says.

Gerard moans sexily. “That’s a good boy,” he says. “Tell me you love me.”

“I love you, daddy,” says Frank, half-moaning as the man glides his thumb through the bead of clear, sticky pre-cum that has collected at the tip of his cock.

Gerard smiles, fucking into Frank even deeper now. “Tell me again, baby bear,” he orders. 

“I love you so fucking much, daddy,” Frank moans, feeling that familiar, warm sensation brewing inside of him.

“Goddamn...I love you, too, baby,” says Gerard, his voice sounding strained as though he’s on the edge now.

A second later, Gerard moans loudly and throws his head back as his body shudders rhythmically from the force of his orgasm. Frank feels the pleasant, warm sensation of being filled up with Gerard’s cum as he he lies there beneath him, so close to blowing his own load. 

“Holy fuck...” Gerard groans, breathing hard as he slows his pace, still jerking Frank off. He looks down at Frank again and watches the boy squirming and whimpering beneath him, obviously about to come, too. “Come for me, baby; show daddy how good you feel,” he encourages, watching the boy intently.

Frank suddenly feels the pleasant release of his orgasm coming on and he arches his back and begins moaning uncontrollably as his cum spurts out onto his torso and drips down Gerard’s fist.

“Fuck yeah, Frankie...that’s so fucking hot,” says Gerard, watching Frank basically unravel beneath him. 

Gerard waits for Frank to come down a bit and then he pulls his cock out of him before lying down beside him on the bed. Frank snuggles up close to Gerard, puts his head on the man’s firm chest and then they lie there together for a while, holding each other and kissing every now and then.

“Gerard?” asks Frank eventually.

“Hmm? What is it, sweetheart?” asks Gerard, beginning to sound sleepy now.

“How can you be so... _okay_ with Jonah sleeping with me?” asks Frank curiously. “Like, how come you’re not super jealous and shit? Not that I want you to be super jealous; I’m just trying to understand.”

Gerard shifts his body on the bed so that he’s leaning up on one elbow, facing Frank. “Why’d you tell me you have a crush on him that one day?” he asks.

“Because I felt guilty about how I felt about him and I didn’t want it to negatively affect our relationship. You already know that.”

“Was it easy to tell me?”

“Fuck no; I was nervous as hell because I thought you wouldn’t wanna be with me anymore after you knew.”

“So, what really motivated you tell me then? Besides feeling guilty.”

“Just...the fact that I care about you. I love you. You deserved to know. I just wanted you to know everything about me—I didn’t want to hide anything from you. Lying to Mikey cost me our entire friendship; I didn’t want to risk losing you that way, too.”

Gerard smiles affectionately at Frank. “See, that’s the main reason why I’m so “okay” with it, baby. I know you wouldn’t have told me how you feel about Jonah despite feeling guilty and scared to if you didn’t love me and care about me. Besides that, I view you hooking up with him as a way for you to explore and experiment—and I think you need that. I might be a lot older now, but I clearly remember what it was like to be an eighteen-year-old boy—I was constantly horny and wanting to experience new people, too. 

“And, let’s be real: at my age I don’t think I can keep up with you sexually. It’s not that you don’t turn me on—I think it’s pretty obvious that you do—it’s just that at age forty-one I definitely don’t have the same sex-drive I had when I was a teenager. I know if you had it your way I would be fucking you every single day as soon as I walk in the door from work; and, as much as I wish I could do that for you, it’s just not possible for me. To put it bluntly: my dick won’t cooperate without rest days nowadays. When we weren’t living together it wasn’t an issue because there would always be at least a week between the times when we’d hook up; by the time we finally got to see each other again I was always rearing to go. But, now you’re ready to go every single night and I’m often either still recovering from the previous night or I’m just too tired and sore from work to even _think_ about getting hard, let alone actually have it happen.

“Anyway, what I’m saying is that I just want you to enjoy your youth; to experience being with a young guy who’s able to “fuck you all night” and not make you have to choose between having those experiences and being with me—someone who loves you and wants to be with you, always, but who’s also in a completely different stage of life than you are. I think with you being so young and the fact that there are twenty-three years between us, we’re naturally being forced to just make shit up as we go along and see what works for us. ‘Cause I certainly don’t expect you to think and act like you’re middle-aged, and I’m sure you don’t expect the opposite from me. It would be unfair to make you miss out on experiencing different people just because I’m older and past that phase. I think if this non-conventional setup works for us then we should just go with it and see what happens.

“I know I’m talking a lot, baby, but let me just say one last thing... I think, in a way, that this situation is comparable to how I allow Mikey to drink alcohol before he‘s twenty-one: if I were to tell him he’s forbidden from drinking then he would probably naturally become more curious about it and more secretive about it if he ended up trying it on his own. But, by giving him permission to experiment with it—which he was likely naturally going to do without my permission anyway, like most kids do—and not punishing him for it, it became something for him to just enjoy casually and not something for him feel guilty about or to hide from me. Mikey—and you, too, for that matter—you guys were inevitably gonna come across alcohol before you’re twenty-one, just like how in the future you’re inevitably gonna come across more guys who you wanna experience. 

“Okay—now, this is _really_ the last thing I wanna say... To clarify: there are definitely times when I do feel jealous of Jonah, but I don’t let those feelings consume me because I know how you feel about me; I know you love me and I feel it whenever we’re together. I think getting to remind you who your sweet ass belongs to each time you come home to me again after being out with him will make up for those fleeting moments of insecurity.”

Frank smiles, leans in and kisses Gerard softly on the mouth—kisses him for a long while, just trying to show him with his lips how much he loves and appreciates him. “You’re pretty amazing, you know,” he says once their lips part. 

“Yeah, I get that a lot,” Gerard says with a chuckle as Frank playfully rolls his eyes and grins before sweetly kissing him again.

“Seriously, though,” says Frank once their lips part again, now placing the palm of one of his soft hands against one of Gerard’s stubbly cheeks. “You’re being so selfless and understanding about this whole thing and I think that’s really cool of you.” 

Gerard looks at Frank admiringly. “You know, Frankie, I’ve been in several romantic relationships throughout my life, and the one I’m in with you right now is by far the most exciting and intimate relationship I’ve ever had. I feel closer to you than I’ve felt to anyone. I know you haven’t been with enough people yet to really see this the way I do, but what we have together is something special and rare. So rare that it took me forty-one years to finally find you. Loving you and being loved by you is a treasure that I will hold onto with all of my heart. I know that probably sounds kinda cheesy or whatever, but, it’s true.”

When Gerard is finished speaking, Frank finds himself absolutely beaming. “You’re so frickin’ romantic, babe; I love it,” he says. “And, I love you so much. Always.”

Gerard smiles back with a little twinkle in his eye and reaches up, gently tucking a curled end of Frank’s hair behind his ear before gingerly kissing him on the forehead and pulling him closer. The couple contentedly lie there together in bed until they fall asleep with their limbs intertwined; wrapped up in each other’s loving warmth.


	15. Chapter 15

“We barely see each other outside of work now,” Jamia says as she restocks paper coffee cups at the café. It’s early afternoon on a Friday and she and Frank have just closed the shop and are doing their usual end-of-day cleaning and restocking. “I miss hanging out with you,” she continues.

Frank turns to his friend as he wipes down the front countertop. “I know...I’ve been spending like all of my time with Gerard lately,” he says.

“Well, what are you up to tonight? We should do something.”

“I would totally hang out with you, but I already have plans...sorry,” says Frank, pausing his wipe-down of the countertops for a moment.

“Damn.” Jamia sighs. “Is it date night or something?” she asks, opening up another pack of paper coffee cups.

“No, I’m actually hanging out with Jonah,” says Frank. “We’re going over to his friend’s place.”

Jamia raises an eyebrow. “You’re hanging out with _Jonah_?” she asks, sounding extremely judgemental.

“Yeah. I’ve kinda been seeing him...” says Frank, looking down at his feet for a second, unsure of how Jamia is going to react to this new information.

Jamia turns to look at Frank with a curious expression on her face. “What do you mean “seeing him”?” she asks.

“Uh... Well, Gerard and I have an open relationship now, so... It means exactly what it sounds like,” Frank explains awkwardly.

Jamia suddenly looks pissed. “An open relationship?” she exclaims. “When the _fuck_ did that happen?”

“Like, a few weeks ago,” says Frank, feeling a little nervous now as Jamia seems pretty upset. “I thought you knew...”

“You thought I knew? How the fuck could I have known if you never even told me?” asks Jamia, arms folded across her chest now.

Frank shrugs. “I just assumed you picked up on it that night we all went clubbing together,” he says. “I danced with Jonah for like an hour; I thought you saw us making out and stuff.”

“Great excuse,” Jamia scoffs, rolling her eyes. “I was drunk as fuck that night and I had my eyes on Chelsea the entire time—I definitely didn’t notice you two dancing or making out or anything,” she says. “Oh my God—please tell me you’re not fucking him, too...”

“Uh...I kinda am...” says Frank, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck.

Jamia throws her hands up dramatically. “I can’t believe you!” she exclaims exasperatedly. “Damn, and here I was thinking that we were close—‘cause we’re definitely not if you kept this from me when I’m the reason you even fucking know the guy. I actually care about your wellbeing, Frankie; I sorta think of you as like my kid brother. I just hate the idea of you being with that wannabe-gangster, junkie burnout.”

“See, this is exactly why I put off telling you—I knew you wouldn’t approve of it.”

“Damn right I don’t approve of it,” says Jamia, folding her arms across her chest again and looking pissed still. “I’m actually pretty shocked that Gerard is cool with it; Jonah’s a fucking loser.”

Frank suddenly feels anger rise within him after hearing Jamia insult Jonah. “And you’re a fucking bitch,” he snaps.

Jamia narrows her eyes at Frank. “Call me a bitch one more time and watch how fast I fucking drop you, kid,” she says coldly.

Frank swallows hard, kind of scared because he can tell that Jamia isn’t bluffing right now and he’s pretty sure she’s been in fights before and could probably dropkick him into hell. “Oh, so you’re threatening me now?“ he says, his voice coming out shaky.

“You asked for it when you insulted me after I simply stated what I think about what you just told me. Don’t dish it if you can’t take it, sweetie,” says Jamia. “Whether you want to accept it or not, Jonah and his friends are all fucking losers. None of them have real jobs and none of them even care about doing anything meaningful with their lives. All they wanna do is get high and sell drugs and fuck.”

“You can be so goddamn condescending and judgemental...” says Frank irately. “As if you’re so fucking perfect and mature or something.” 

Jamia laughs dryly. “If you can’t handle the truth about Jonah then you need to grow the fuck up, Frankie,” she says. “He might be friendly and handsome and all, but he’s actually fucking scum and you barely even know anything about him. You don’t know what kind of shit he’s done.”

Frank bites the inside of his bottom lip, absolutely fuming inside but trying to hold back his anger. “That’s a really fucking shitty thing to say,” he says. “Anyway, you wouldn’t understand our relationship, so I’m not even gonna try to explain it to you.”

“Good, ‘cause I might just fucking vomit everywhere if you did,” says Jamia coldly before going back to restocking. 

Frank is so glad when they’re finally finished cleaning and restocking; he immediately takes off his apron and walks out the café door, leaving Jamia to lock up without saying goodbye. Frank sees Gerard’s black SUV parked in the front lot and is relieved to see that his boyfriend is already waiting for him in the car.

“Hey, baby,” Gerard says as Frank quickly gets into the car and buckles up. He leans over and softly kisses the boy on the lips.

“Hey,” says Frank, smiling a bit and feeling much more relaxed now that he’s with Gerard. 

“How was your shift?” Gerard asks as he backs out of the parking stall.

“It was fine until I told Jamia that I’ve been seeing Jonah. She insulted him pretty ruthlessly and it pissed me off so fucking much. She called him a “loser,” “scum” and a “junkie,” so I called her a bitch.” 

Gerard sighs. “That was pretty low of her, but you shouldn’t have called her that,” he says. “You’re supposed to be her friend, right?”

“Yeah, and she’s supposed to be mine!” Frank shouts, feeling upset. “You think it was okay for her to say all that rude shit about Jonah?”

“No, of course not,” says Gerard calmly. “I just don’t think it was okay for you to call her that either.”

“Well, she fucking deserved it.”

“You don’t fucking disrespect women like that, Frankie,” Gerard snaps, suddenly speaking in his ‘dad voice.’ “Especially a woman who you call your friend. That’s not cool. Got it?”

Frank swallows hard as he sits there, knowing that Gerard isn’t impressed with him. “Yeah, I got it,” he says meekly, feeling remorseful. He vaguely remembers calling Lindsey a bitch in front of Gerard months ago and Gerard not saying shit about it, but he decides not to go there...

“Jamia has every right to feel however she feels about Jonah and to say what she thinks about him. Just because you two are friends, doesn’t mean she has to support every decision you make. Maybe she has her reasons for the way she feels about the guy.”

Frank shakes his head, feeling like Gerard is taking Jamia’s side and ignoring the fact that she was extremely rude about Jonah. “Whatever,” he says. “You’re probably just taking her side because you don’t like Jonah either.” 

“When have I ever said I don’t like Jonah? I definitely wouldn’t be letting you see him if I didn’t,” says Gerard. “And, I’m not taking anyone’s side; I’m just tying to think about the situation fairly.”

Frank sighs frustratedly. “Can we please talk about something else now?” 

Gerard shrugs, unbothered. “Sure,” he says. “Do you wanna get dinner before I drop you off?” 

“Okay,” says Frank, hoping that a good meal will put him in a better mood before he goes to meet up with Jonah.

Gerard drives them to this cozy local diner, and when they get inside they’re quickly seated at a booth table by the friendly hostess. When their server comes over to greet them and ask if they’d like anything to drink, Gerard orders a water and Frank orders a Coke.

“I know you don’t wanna talk about it anymore, but I just want to say I’m sorry about what happened with Jamia,” says Gerard. “I know that what she said about Jonah really upset you and I hope I didn’t come off as dismissive with how I responded after you told me what happened. It sucks falling out with a friend, but I’m sure you two will talk it through and make up eventually.”

“Thanks, Gerard,” Frank says, sliding his hand across the tabletop.

Gerard takes Frank’s hand in his and raises it to his lips, kissing the back of it gingerly before lowering it onto the table again. Frank smiles and blushes a bit, making Gerard smile in turn.

“ _There’s_ that pretty smile...” says Gerard, his eyes crinkling adorably in the corners as Frank just sits there, melting. Gerard always has this way of cheering Frank up with just a look. 

“God, I love you,” Frank says sincerely, still smiling.

“I love you, too, baby boy,” says Gerard, gently squeezing Frank’s hand before letting go and taking a sip of his water. “So, where are you and Jonah going tonight?” he asks after setting his glass down again.

“We’re going over to his friend’s place.”

Gerard raises an eyebrow. “Have you met this friend?”

“Yeah, I met him that one night we hung out at the parking lot. His name’s Tracy—he’s Jonah’s best friend.”

“You sure he’s a good guy?” asks Gerard. “With Jonah doing what he does for a living there’s probably some people in his circle that are involved in gang shit and the like... I don’t want you getting caught up with people like that.” 

“Tracy’s cool,” says Frank, although he really doesn’t know anything about the guy. “I mean, I’ve only met him one time for a few minutes, but, he seemed cool.” 

““Cool”? What does that even tell me?” asks Gerard, sounding mildly annoyed. “I’m asking you if this Tracy guy is a good person.”

Frank shrugs. “I don’t know enough about him to give a proper answer, I guess. But, I can’t see Jonah being friends with someone who isn’t a good person,” he says. “He’s just too sweet.”

Gerard smiles. “Yeah, he is pretty sweet to you, isn’t he?” 

Frank smiles and nods. “Yeah,” he agrees, blushing. 

“Does he ever sell drugs when you’re with him?”

Frank is a little surprised by the question. “Uh, yeah, sometimes. He just sells to his friends though—at least those are the only people I’ve ever seen him sell to.”

“You sure they’re all his friends?” asks Gerard. “There are lots of people out there who’ll pretend to be your friend when you’re the one supplying something they want and/or need.”

“I dunno... I don’t pay that much attention when he’s dealing,” says Frank with a shrug.

“Does he use drugs around you?”

“I’ve seen him do coke and pills a couple times, but he goes into a bathroom to use if he can.”

Gerard looks uncomfortable. “I don’t like the idea of you being around that shit. It’s one thing for him to sell those drugs to people, but for him to use them around you is different.”

“It’s not like I’m ever gonna ask to try any of it again,” says Frank. “And, he’s never once offered me any drugs besides weed, which I already smoke anyway.”

“I’d just feel better knowing that he’s sober when he’s around you; that he’s not on anything that could affect his judgement and ultimately your safety.”

“Well, what do you want me to do? When he’s with his friends he gets fucked up—that’s just what he does. It doesn’t bother me at all.”

Gerard shakes his head. “I don’t know,” he says. “I just want you to be safe, that’s all.”

“I _am_ safe with him, Gerard,” Frank insists.

Gerard sighs. “I know Jonah’s a good guy and that he cares about you, but his lifestyle just...it bothers me. With you being so young and impressionable and me being older and more mature, I feel like it’s my responsibility to say something to him. I feel like I wouldn’t be a good boyfriend if I didn’t.”

“Say something to him? Like what?”

“Like...ask him not to use drugs around you anymore. Maybe encourage him to get clean.”

“Oh, okay...” 

“Do you think he’d take offence to that?”

“No, I don’t think so,” says Frank. “I think he’d know you’re just trying to protect me.”

“Okay,” says Gerard, nodding. “Maybe when I pick you up later I’ll have a quick chat with him or something.”

“Okay.”

Soon, the server comes around again and Frank and Gerard each order their meals.

“When was the last time you saw your mom?” asks Gerard once the server walks away again.

“Uh...a few weeks ago,” says Frank, feeling a bit guilty that it’s been so long.

“Frankie, she’s already hurt by you moving out; don’t stop visiting her on top of it,” says Gerard. “Plus, she’s never gonna be okay with us living together if she never gets to see you. I think you should visit her this weekend.” 

Frank sighs, knowing that Gerard is right, as usual. “Fine, I will,” he says. “Would you come with me?”

Gerard raises an eyebrow. “I would, but that’s probably not a good idea considering the fact that she despises me.”

Frank shrugs. “What if I tell her the only way she’s gonna get to see me is if she lets you come with me?” he says. “I want her to see how good we are together. I’m tired of her hating on you and trying to guilt me into moving back home with her every time we talk on the phone.”

Gerard shakes his head. “I can see that situation getting pretty messy, Frankie, but you can tell her whatever you want.” 

“My birthdays coming up... Maybe I can convince her to let you join us for dinner.”

“It’s up to you,” says Gerard with a shrug, looking tired. “The last time I saw her she didn’t seem like she ever wanted me in her house again, so...” 

“Well, I think she’d rather see me with you than not see me at all.”

“Like I said: it’s up to you. I’m good with whatever you decide,” says Gerard. “Speaking of your birthday...is there anything special you want to do?”

“I would love to go clubbing again. It was so much fun the first time.”

“Okay,” says Gerard. “We’ll have to see if there’s another eighteen plus night coming up.”

“Maybe I’ll ask Jonah when I see him later.”

“Would you want to invite Jamia?”

“I dunno. It depends on if we make up or not, I guess. Plus, I’d want Jonah to come, too, and Jamia hates him apparently.”

“They seemed okay around each other when we went clubbing before.”

“That’s ‘cause they didn’t interact—I didn’t see them talk to each other once. Chelsea doesn’t seem to mind him though.”

Gerard sighs suddenly and looks like he’s somewhere else in his mind for a moment as he runs a finger through the condensation on his water glass.

“What’s the matter?” asks Frank worriedly.

“I just really fucking miss Mikey,” says Gerard, his eyes looking sad. Frank feels his heart break a little at seeing Gerard so emotional all of a sudden. “His birthday’s coming up, too, and I just wish I could see him. I still text him everyday; I just want him to know I’m here waiting for whenever he’s ready to talk to me again. It’s been over six months now since I’ve seen or spoken to him.”

“I’m sorry, Gerard... I know it’s a rough situation and I wish there was something I could do to make it better. I miss him, too.”

“It helps having you living with me. I’m not so lonely anymore.”

“Well, I’m glad it helps because I really love living with you,” says Frank. “I’m glad I haven’t driven you crazy yet,” he adds with a little smirk.

Gerard chuckles. “I don’t think you ever could, baby,” he says sweetly.

The server eventually comes around with their meals and they eat and talk about lighter subject matter for the rest of the time. When they’re finished, Gerard pays and then they leave the diner and get back into the car.

“What are you guys gonna do at this guy’s place?” asks Gerard as he starts off down the street.

“Probably just chill and talk and stuff,” says Frank casually. 

“Can I pick you up at one? I don’t wanna sleep alone tonight.”

“Yeah, of course,” says Frank. “Are you still gonna come in and talk to Jonah when you pick me up?”

“We’ll see...” says Gerard. “Maybe hold off on mentioning it to him for now.”

“Okay.”

Gerard soon pulls up to the front of Tracy’s house. “So, you’ll call me if you feel unsafe or anything, right?” he asks.

“Yeah, I will,” says Frank, taking off his seatbelt. “I love you, Gerard.”

“I love you, too, baby,” says Gerard before kissing Frank softly on the lips. “I’ll see you at one.”

“Okay, see you then,” says Frank before opening the door and hopping out of the car. He waves to Gerard after shutting the car door and then makes his way up the front stairs of the house.

Frank knocks on the front door a few times and then Jonah opens it shortly afterwards, smiling and looking stoned with bloodshot eyes. He’s wearing a cotton candy-esque blue, pink and white hoodie with ripped black jeans and his pink hair looks messy but in a sexy “I don’t care how I look” kinda way.

“Hey, Frankie,” says Jonah, opening the door wide, making room for Frank to walk in.

“Hey,” says Frank, smiling, too, as he steps into the house. It smells like weed and scented candles inside and there’s loud emo-rap music playing from what sounds like a surround sound system. 

“We’re just about to order food,” says Jonah as he closes the door. “You hungry?”

“I actually just had dinner with Gerard,” says Frank. “Thanks for asking though.”

“Okay. It’s prolly not gonna be here for another hour so maybe you’ll be hungry again by then. Tracy’s orderin’—go tell him what you want.”

Frank feels awkward going up to Tracy when the two of them have barely even spoken to each other before. “Really, it’s fine, Jonah,” he says, feeling shy. “I don’t even have any money on me.”

Jonah shakes his head. “You ain’t gotta think about money and shit when you’re with me, Frankie; I got you,” he says with a little half-smile.

Frank smiles and feels a bit warm because of the way Jonah makes him feel so at ease and because the guy’s swagger is so sexy and undeniable. “Okay,” he says dreamily as Jonah steps closer to him.

Jonah affectionately tucks a curled end of Frank’s hair behind his ear just like Gerard does as he looks down at the kid with a stoned-looking smile. “I could give you anything you want, you know...” he says softly, and Frank can feel the warmth of his body nearing.

“Stop...” says Frank breathily, trying not to smile as his eyes flutter shyly.

“I know you don’t really want me to,” says Jonah with a smirk.

Frank rolls his eyes and finally lets himself smile. He reaches up and puts his hand on the back of Jonah’s neck, feeling the guy’s short, soft, pink hair beneath his palm as he does, and pulls him in close until their lips are pressed together. Frank tastes smoke and sweetness on Jonah’s tongue and he finds himself moaning lightly into his mouth, closing his eyes and getting lost in the intense sensuality of this otherwise mundane moment.

Jonah kisses back immediately, moving his tongue needily against Frank’s, and he puts his hands on the boy’s slender hips, sliding them up underneath his T-shirt a bit, against his bare skin. He then walks forward until Frank’s back is pressed up against one of the front hallway walls and his body is pressed up closely against Frank’s shorter one.

Frank moans lightly into Jonah’s mouth again, enjoying the feeling of being pinned against the wall as they make out. He clings onto the sides of Jonah’s hoodie, his knees getting weak, surprised at himself for already wanting to fuck this guy after only being around him for a few minutes.

“Yo, Jones!” sounds Tracy’s chilled-out voice from inside what Frank guesses to be the living room of the house. “What’s the hold up?”

Jonah parts their lips after hearing his friend call out to him. “I’m sayin’ “hi” to Frankie!” he calls back.

Frank laughs a bit at the fact that Jonah’s idea of saying “hi” to him is making out with him in the front hall for several minutes.

Jonah looks down at Frank with a lustful gaze, staring at his pink, saliva-moistened lips. “We can just pick back up right here later on,” he says in a low voice before meeting Frank’s eyes.

Frank looks up at Jonah and nods eagerly. “Yeah, okay,” he says.

“Okay,” says Jonah, smiling a bit. “C’mon,” he says before easing up off of Frank, whose back is still against the wall, before taking his hand and leading him into the living room.

Tracy’s sitting on the green leather couch with a laptop open on his lap and a lit blunt in one hand. He has short braids in his hair that are dyed an intense blue colour which creates a pleasing contrast between them and his dark brown skin.

Tracy looks up when he sees Frank and Jonah walk into the room. “That was a long-ass “hello,”” he says, eyeing Jonah with a smirk on his face. He then leans forward and quickly ashes the blunt in the ashtray on the coffee table in front of the couch before leaning back again and putting it to his lips, inhaling. “‘Sup, Frankie?” he asks as he now exhales thick, pungent, white smoke.

“Not much,” says Frank, following Jonah who sits down on the couch next to Tracy. “You?” he asks as he’s being pulled down by Jonah to sit on his lap. Frank notices that there’s an air purifier humming in the back corner of the room and guesses that it and the scented candles are meant to cover the smell of the weed, although they’re both not very effective in doing so.

“Same, just faded as fuck,” says Tracy. “You smoke?”

“Uh, yeah, just weed,” Frank replies.

“That’s what I meant,” says Tracy, smirking a bit. He leans forward again and picks up a rolled joint from off of the coffee table before sitting back again and holding it out to Frank. “Here.”

“Oh, uh...I dunno if I should...” says Frank apprehensively.

“Why not?” asks Jonah curiously.

“I have to ask Gerard first,” says Frank. “Last time I hung out with you he said he wanted me to stay sober.”

Tracy chuckles. “Who’s Gerard? Your P.O.?” he asks sarcastically.

Jonah laughs a bit as he grabs the joint that Tracy’s still holding out, lights it and then takes a puff. Frank just sits there and blushes because he doesn’t even know what the hell a P.O. is and he’s too embarrassed to ask.

“Seriously though, Frankie,” Jonah begins, blowing out smoke. “You let Gerard control how long we hang out for; whether or not you stay sober when you’re with me; how often you get to see me...”

Tracy starts chuckling again and shaking his head.

“What?” Frank asks hotly, looking over at Tracy and feeling embarrassed. “Why are you laughing?”

“‘Cause Gerard sound more like your dad than your boyfriend,” says Tracy matter-of-factly before inhaling on his blunt again.

Frank shrugs. “He’s letting me see Jonah and the trade-off is that I follow certain rules he has. He’s also just...protective of me.”

“Yeah, maybe he’s a little _too_ protective,” says Tracy. “And his “rules” sound kinda fucked, honestly. Like, he’s okay with you fuckin’ Jonah but not okay with you spendin’ the night with him? What kinda bullshit is that?”

“Well, to be fair, he has a son who’s exactly my age, so...maybe it just feels natural for him to be strict with me,” says Frank. “We’re twenty-three years apart,” he adds.

““Strict”? Sounds more like “controlling” to me,” says Tracy, raising an eyebrow. Frank’s not exactly sure what the guy means by it but he’s not about to ask him.

“Yo, where’s Paulo at?” asks Jonah suddenly, looking over at Tracy as they both blow out more smoke.

“He went in my room to lie down,” says Tracy casually.

“Why? He take something?” asks Jonah.

“All he said was he was finna lie down, bruh. It ain’t that deep.”

“Well, I’ma check on him,” says Jonah, starting to get up. Frank slides himself off of Jonah’s lap so the guy can get up and make his way to Tracy’s room to check on their friend. 

“We orderin’ food; you want anything?” asks Tracy, glancing over at Frank before looking down at his laptop again.

“Oh, uh...no, thanks. I actually just had dinner before I got here,” says Frank.

Jonah walks back into the living room seconds later. “Paulo’s fine; he’s talkin’ to his girl on Facetime,” he announces.

“He looked fine when he went in there,” says Tracy. “That’s why I wasn’t worried.”

“Yeah, well, I’m just paranoid about that shit...” says Jonah.

Tracy nods knowingly.

Frank looks up at Jonah curiously as he stands there smoking his joint and checking his phone for a moment. “Did you think he might have taken some bad drugs or something?” he asks.

“Yeah, maybe, I dunno... I just wanted to make sure he was okay,” says Jonah with a shrug. “I always carry a Narcan kit in my back pocket just in case. It looks just like a wallet,” he says, patting the small, square-shaped bulge at the back of his jeans. “Hell, I’d carry around anything that could save a bro’s life with the shit that’s been goin’ ‘round. You feel me?”

“Yeah,” says Frank, nodding as he realizes how serious this tainted drug crisis is. “So, is Narcan what you use if someone accidentally overdoses on that “fenty” stuff?”

Jonah chuckles a bit as he sits down on the couch between Frank and Tracy and stubs out his half-smoked joint in the ashtray on the coffee table. “It’s actually called “fentanyl.” It’s a fuckin’ evil drug,” he says, leaning back in the couch. “But, yeah, Narcan is the antidote; it reverses the effects of that shit.”

“Have you ever had to use it on someone?” asks Frank, and he sees a sudden flash of sadness in both Jonah’s and Tracy’s eyes then. 

“Uh, no, but...there’s definitely been a time that I wish I’d had some on me,” says Jonah, looking down at his lap for a moment. “Prolly coulda saved our friend’s life.”

Frank’s stomach churns unpleasantly. “I’m so sorry...” he says, feeling terrible about having asked the question. “I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories or anything.” 

“It’s cool, you didn’t know,” says Jonah with a shrug. “Two years ago, a close friend of ours, Adam, took some bad drugs at a party we were at. I found him on the bathroom floor, blue and unresponsive and not breathin’. Jamia was at that party, too; it was while we were datin’.”

Frank’s eyes widen and his heart rate speeds up, feeling the heaviness of the heartbreaking story Jonah has just told him about his friend, and feeling shocked to learn that Jonah and Jamia used to date. 

“I’m really sorry. That must have been so fucking rough...” says Frank. 

“Thanks, Frankie. Yeah, it was traumatic as hell. I miss him a lot,” Jonah says with a sad sigh. “Everyone says it gets easier over time but I’m callin’ bullshit on that.”

Frank is silent for a moment before he speaks again. “Jamia never mentioned that she used to be your girlfriend.”

To Frank’s surprise, Jonah chuckles. “We dated for a year and she prolly never mentioned it to you ‘cause she wants to forget it ever happened. Things ended badly between us, to put it lightly, and now she hates my fuckin’ guts,” he says.

“Judging by the way she reacted and by the things she said about you after I told her we’ve been seeing each other, it sounds like she really does hate you,” says Frank.

”Yeah?” says Jonah, grinning and looking somewhat amused now. “What’d she say about me?”

“I don’t think you really wanna know...” says Frank, remembering all of the shitty things Jamia had said about Jonah. “She talked shit about both you and your friends.”

“C’mon, you can tell me; I ain’t got feelings,” Jonah presses. 

Frank laughs. “Honestly, it’s all too mean and fucked up for me to even wanna repeat any of it.”

Jonah shrugs. “Ah, fair enough. It’s prolly nothin’ she hasn’t said to my face before anyway.”

“What happened between you two?” asks Frank curiously. “Like, why’d you guys break up?”

Jonah sighs before he begins to speak. “Six months after Adam died, I hooked up with one of Jamia’s friends at her birthday party. I know it was a really shitty thing to do, but I was fucked up on xannys and molly and K that night and this girl was fuckin’ grindin’ up on my dick, talkin’ ‘bout how wet her pussy was for me and shit...just basically tryna fuck me. Jamia and I were havin’ hella problems at that point, too—not that it was any excuse to cheat on her, I’m just sayin’. 

“Anyway, this girl was completely sober when we hooked up, but when Jamia found out what happened she blamed the entire thing on me. She screamed at me for like an hour before she finally dumped me,” says Jonah. “Months later, that same friend of Jamia’s who I hooked up with told me that Jamia had _asked_ her to get with me that night “as a birthday present” to her so that she’d finally have a good reason to break up with me. I was fuckin’ livid when I heard that shit.”

“Oh my God, that’s beyond fucked up...” says Frank, shaking his head in disbelief.

”Yeah, I know. In the months after Adam died, I kept gettin’ this gut feelin’ that she was lookin’ for a reason to break up with me though. Like, she’d start arguments with me over the most minor shit and make me feel guilty for not bein’ attentive to her while I was fuckin’ grieving. She denies the whole “askin’ her friend to fuck me” thing, but I know it’s true. I heard from multiple people that she said she wanted to break up with me but felt bad about doin’ it because Adam had just died and I was already in a bad place. She went about gettin’ what she wanted in such a shady, fucked up way though. She’s just a fake as fuck person.”

“Holy shit...” says Frank, still in shock. “Why do you even still hang out with her after all of that?” 

Jonah shrugs. “I’m just her plug now and she’s just another customer. I’m over all of the shit that went down between us. It’s been a year and a half since we broke up and I ain’t got the energy to hold onto the anger no more. I just let it go,” he says. “I really only started hangin’ out with her again ‘cause she’s friends with you; before that she’d just quickly stop by my place to buy weed and then bounce. Also, Chelsea’s actually cool as hell, so havin’ her around kinda balances out with havin’ to be around Jams.”

Frank sighs then, just processing everything Jonah has revealed to him. “I’m so choked that she was pissed at me for not telling her I was sleeping with you, and this entire time she was hiding the fact that you two dated for a year and a half,” he says. 

“Yeah, what’d I tell you? She’s fake as fuck,” says Jonah.

Frank sighs deeply. “God, I hate that you’re right.”

“Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it... Happens pretty often,” says Jonah, smirking playfully as he leans in and softly presses his lips against Frank’s.

Frank blushes and pulls away from Jonah, gesturing towards Tracy who’s sitting right next to them.

“Tracy doesn’t care,” says Jonah with a little shrug. “You just ain’t used to PDA, are you?”

“No, not really,” Frank admits, feeling his cheeks burn even hotter as he realizes that he and Gerard have only ever kissed in public twice.

“I can tell; you look hella embarrassed,” Jonah says teasingly before breaking out into a light laugh. 

“Shut up...” Frank says playfully, holding back a smile as Jonah wraps his arms around him, still laughing lightly and hiding his face in the crook of the boy’s neck.

Jonah looks up again and over at Tracy. “Yo, Tracy, can you kick Paulo out your room?” he asks, now looking at Frank with mischief in his eyes.

Tracy looks up from his laptop. “Why? So you two can fuck on my bed?” he asks.

“Yeah, maybe...” says Jonah before kissing Frank’s neck. “Just ask him to come out here, would you?”

Tracy agrees and then gets up, walks over to his bedroom door and pokes his head into the room. “Hey, Jonah and Frankie wanna use the bed,” he says plainly. “Let’s go play Skater XL.”

“Bruh, you serious?” asks Paulo, sounding mildly annoyed from inside the room. “I’m talking to Gina.”

“C’mon, man, you literally live with her. And you know homie ain’t stop talkin’ ‘bout fuckin’ this boy all week. Maybe he’ll finally shut the fuck up about him after this,” says Tracy before turning around and walking back into the living room.

“Damn, bruh...why you gotta do me like that?” asks Jonah, laughing as Tracy sits down on the couch with them again. Jonah looks at Frank with a little smirk on his face. “Now you know how obsessed I am.”

Frank smiles a bit and he feels a pleasant sensation of butterflies fill his stomach. “You’re obsessed with me?” he asks, just wanting to hear Jonah say it.

“Hell yeah, I’m obsessed...” says Jonah in a sexy, low voice, looking Frank up and down subtly just before leaning in and kissing him hard on the mouth, pretty much taking the kid’s breath away. 

“Aight, y’all can go fuck now,” Paulo announces loudly as he emerges from Tracy’s room. “You owe me one, Jones,” he adds as he walks into the living room.

Jonah parts his and Frank’s lips. “Sweet, thanks, bro,” he says to Paulo. He gets up from the couch and holds out his hand to Frank who takes it and lets Jonah pull him up.

“Change the sheets after, ay, Jones?” says Tracy. 

“Yeah,” says Jonah, still holding Frank’s hand as he leads the boy towards Tracy’s bedroom.

The inside of the bedroom is cast in an intense magenta glow from the brightly coloured LED strip-light above the bed and Frank thinks the effect it gives off looks really cool. Jonah lies down on the king size bed with his head on one of the pillows and Frank follows suit, lying down next to Jonah so that they’re facing each other. The spot he’s lying in is still warm from Paulo’s body.

“That was pretty cool of Tracy to let us use his bed,” says Frank.

“Yeah, he’s a sweet dude.”

“Is he a dealer, too?”

“Nah, he makes beats and sells ‘em online. He does pretty well.”

“Oh, so that’s what he’s been doing on his laptop?”

“Probably,” says Jonah, bringing a hand up to brush some of his pink hair out of his eyes. 

“Cool,” says Frank. He notices a diamond-encrusted watch around Jonah’s left wrist as the sleeve of the guy’s hoodie rides up while he messes with his hair. “Are you like...rich?” he asks curiously.

Jonah raises an eyebrow. “What makes you ask that?”

“You have a bunch of diamonds on your watch and you have a brand new car...”

“Would it change anything if I was?”

“No, it literally doesn’t matter to me either way. I’m just nosy and curious, I guess,” says Frank. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable or anything by asking.”

“You didn’t. I’ve just been with a lot of people who only fuck with me ‘cause of how much money I make. And, let’s just say I got more money right now than I know what to do with.”

“Why don’t you buy a mansion or something instead of living in your parents’ basement?”

“‘Cause I’m not tryna get the IRS all up in my shit. That’s why I don’t flaunt what I got like some of these other dealers. They all wanna flex on each other but that shit ain’t smart.”

“Oh, that makes sense. I never thought about it like that,” says Frank pensively. “How much did you pay for that watch? It looks sick.”

“Ten grand,” says Jonah casually. “It was kinda impulsive.”

Frank’s eyes go wide. “Holy shit...” he says. “You could literally buy anything you want...” he realizes aloud.

Jonah shrugs. “I treat myself to some top shelf items once in a while, but for the most part I just like bein’ able to help out my friends and shit,” he says.

“That’s really cool of you,” says Frank sincerely, thinking Jonah is extremely kindhearted. 

“Anyway...nuff about me—let’s talk about you now,” says Jonah, smiling as he scoots closer to Frank on the bed. “So, do you call Gerard “daddy” when y’all fuck?” he asks as if he’s just been dying to know.

Frank laughs. “ _That’s_ what you wanna know about me?” 

Jonah laughs, too. “Well, you just asked me if I’m rich, so I thought we were just askin’ each other fucked up questions now,” he says with a smirk.

Frank grins and rolls his eyes. “Well, if you really wanna know: yeah, I do,” he admits.

Jonah smirks and looks intrigued. “Yeah? What does he call you?”

““Baby” or “baby boy” or “good boy,”” says Frank, blushing.

“ _Fuck_ , that’s so hot...” says Jonah, smirking; obviously turned on and probably imagining Frank and Gerard fucking right now.

“You think so?” asks Frank, blushing even more.

“Hell yeah. It’s super hot. I’d love to watch you guys fuck...”

Frank‘s eyes widen in shock, momentarily unsure if he’s heard Jonah correctly. 

Jonah looks a little embarrassed when he sees Frank’s shocked expression. “Uh, sorry, I just be sayin’ shit sometimes...you know me,” he says awkwardly.

“No, it’s cool,” says Frank. “Would you actually be into watching us?” he asks, feeling really intrigued by the idea.

“Yeah,” Jonah admits. “Is that fucked up?” 

“No, I actually think it’d be hot,” says Frank. “Even hotter if you joined in, to be honest...” he adds.

Jonah chuckles and his eyes sort of light up. “Yeah? You think Gerard would be into sharin’ you like that?”

“Only one way to find out...” says Frank with a cheeky smirk.

“You gonna ask him?”

“Yeah,” says Frank, nodding.

“Wow, okay,” says Jonah, smiling and looking a little surprised. “We ain’t even see each other fully naked yet and we talkin’ ‘bout havin’ a threesome with your boyfriend...that’s wild,” he says dreamily.

“Yeah, you’re right, that _is_ wild. We even fucked and we still haven’t seen each other fully naked...”

“We gotta change that shit real quick, don’t you think?” asks Jonah with a little smirk on his face as he leans in and teasingly ghosts his lips against Frank’s.

Frank nods, feeling a sudden rush of blood fill his cock. “Yeah, definitely,” he says breathily against Jonah’s lips. 

Jonah then closes the small gap between their lips and the two of them start making out feverishly with their hands all over each other’s bodies, undressing each other. Jonah parts their lips and sits up suddenly to pull his hoodie and T-shirt off and Frank is surprised to see that Jonah has several gorgeous tattoos on his chest. He’s seen the ones on his arms before but he‘d been unaware that the guy had so many more underneath his clothes. Frank sits up, too, and continues to stare at Jonah’s body, which is lean and toned even though Frank is pretty sure the guy doesn’t even work out. 

“Holy shit, I had no idea you have so many tattoos,” Frank comments, still staring at the guy’s tasteful body art.

Jonah raises an eyebrow. “Is that good or bad?” he asks somewhat apprehensively.

“Oh, it’s good. I like them,” Frank clarifies, meeting Jonah’s warm, dark brown eyes now.

Jonah smiles and then he leans in and kisses Frank hard, pulling up his shirt as they make out and eventually parting their lips in order to pull the garment up and over Frank’s head. Jonah then gently pushes against Frank’s shoulders so that the boy is lying on his back and then he undoes the kid’s pants and pulls them off along with his boxers as they stare each other down. 

“Damn, boy...” says Jonah, biting his lower lip as he dazedly looks Frank’s naked body up and down. He tosses the kid’s clothes onto the floor beside the bed. “Flip over, lemme see that ass...”

Frank is feeling so turned on right now as Jonah looks like he’s pretty much fucking him with his eyes. He turns over onto his stomach, feeling his hard cock straining against the mattress as he does, and Jonah lets out a high-pitched whistle that makes Frank giggle shyly.

Jonah grabs each of Frank’s asscheeks in his hands, spreading them apart, exposing his tight little hole. “Oh my fuckin’ God, bro...you’re so sexy,” he says in a low, lust-filled voice. “Gonna eat your ass out so good, dude.”

Frank moans, super turned on by hearing how Jonah is going to pleasure him, and he feels another rush of blood fill his cock. He looks back over his shoulder at Jonah and watches as the guy lies down between his outstretched legs so that his face is right above his ass. Jonah then spreads Frank’s asscheeks apart with his hands again and in a second his face is buried between them and his tongue is licking at the boy’s tight opening.

“Oh, fuck...” Frank groans pleasantly, letting his eyes slip shut and burying his face in the pillow as he feels Jonah’s warm, wet tongue on his sensitive hole, sending little jolts of pleasure throughout his body.

“Yeah? You like that?” asks Jonah before going back to rapidly flicking his tongue against Frank’s little hole.

“Fuck yeah...” Frank moans into the pillow, feeling his hard cock begin leaking out precum from the tip onto the blanket beneath him. “Feels so fucking good.”

Jonah squeezes Frank’s asscheeks, feeling them up as he continues to eat his ass out, and Frank is becoming increasingly aroused, beginning to squirm around on the bed, trying to rub his straining cock against the mattress for some release.

”You tryna fuck the bed, Frankie?” asks Jonah teasingly, and Frank can hear the smirk in his voice.

Frank laughs lightly into the pillow and it quickly turns into a muffled moan when he feels one of Jonah’s fingers suddenly push into his tightness. “Oh my God...” he moans as Jonah starts fingering him deeply, curling his finger each time it goes all the way in so that it brushes against his prostate, making Frank feel an intensely pleasurable sensation each time the sensitive gland is stimulated.

“God, I love how fuckin’ tight you are...” says Jonah, adding in a second finger now and moving them both back and forth, in and out of Frank’s hole. “Wanna fuck you so bad, boy...”

Frank feels Jonah gently kiss one of his asscheeks as he’s fingering him and it makes him smile into the pillow. “Yeah, fuck me...” he says needily, lifting his ass a bit, backing himself up onto Jonah’s fingers, making them go even deeper inside of him.

“Fuck, that’s so sexy...” says Jonah breathily as he pulls his fingers out of Frank’s tight hole and scoots over so that he’s sitting up next to the kid now, tugging his own pants and underwear down his legs, revealing his hard cock to Frank who’s now sitting up next to the guy, watching intently as he undresses. 

Frank leans in and kisses Jonah hard on the mouth, wrapping his hand around they guy’s thick, hard cock and stroking it up and down as they make out. Jonah moans and shoves his tongue into Frank’s mouth as they kiss, roughly grabbing the kid’s hair with one hand and stroking his cock with the other, causing the boy to become even more turned on. 

Frank pulls back after a while of heavy, intense kissing and petting and he just stares at Jonah, looking him up and down lustfully, just thinking about how fucking hot this guy is. Jonah is extremely handsome and Frank thinks his pink hair and nose ring are sexy as hell, along with all of his tattoos. He begins to use his fingertips to lightly and sensually trace around the shapes in the art that’s decorating the guy’s skin, becoming mesmerized by the intricacy of their designs as he does.

“Your tats are so fucking sexy,” says Frank after a while of loving on Jonah’s ink.

“Yeah? You like ‘em?” asks Jonah, looking at Frank, intently watching the boy’s concentrating expression. 

“Fuck yeah...” says Frank, almost in a whisper.

“You think you’ll ever get any ink?” asks Jonah, his eyes scanning over Frank’s bare skin.

Frank nods. “Yeah. I’ve thought about it,” he says.

“I think it’d suit you well,” says Jonah, moving to lie down on his back now. He reaches over and opens the bedside table drawer, pulling out a condom packet and a bottle of lube from inside of it before shutting it again. “Yeah, I know where Tracy keeps all his shit,” he says with a little smirk, noticing Frank’s curious expression. 

Frank smiles a bit and looks on as Jonah rips open the square-shaped condom packet with his teeth and then takes the rubber out and rolls it down around the shaft of his hard cock, pinching the tip as he does.

“C’mere,” says Jonah as he gestures with a little head tilt, smiling. “You get on top.”

Frank starts to climb on top of Jonah as the guy watches him but then Jonah stops him just as he straddles his legs. “Face away from me,” he says.

“Oh, okay,” says Frank, turning around so he’s facing away from Jonah as he straddles his legs. He’s never had sex in this position before and he’s excited to try something new. He suddenly lets out a little gasp and arches his back a bit when he feels the coldness of lube being rubbed against his hole from behind.

“Shit, sorry, babe. Shoulda warned you it’d be cold.”

“It’s okay,” says Frank, smiling a bit after hearing Jonah call him “babe.” He’s so eager to feel Jonah inside of him for the second time and when he feels the head of the guy’s cock finally begin to press firmly against his opening he can’t help but to moan sexily as he lowers himself down onto it, letting it slowly enter him and stretch him out with the aid of the slippery lubricant.

“Fuck yeah, that’s it, Frankie...” Jonah says in a low voice as he watches from behind as Frank slowly lowers himself down onto his cock. “Goddamn...could your ass be anymore perfect?” he says, now tightly gripping onto each of Frank’s slender hips with his hands. 

Frank smiles to himself and groans pleasantly as he sits all the way back on Jonah’s cock, feeling deep, intense pleasure when the head of it brushes against his sweet spot. Frank then puts his hands on Jonah’s thighs to steady himself as he lifts up again, sliding his tightness back up the shaft. Before long he’s riding Jonah’s dick at a steady pace while Jonah thrusts his hips up to meet him, hitting Frank’s prostate hard each time, making the boy begin to moan louder.

After a while of fucking in that position, Jonah sits up and somehow gets onto his knees behind Frank without even pulling out of him as they change positions. Frank’s now on his knees and leaning forward on his elbows with his ass up in the air, moaning uncontrollably as Jonah fucks into him hard from behind, still tightly gripping onto the boy’s hips as he does and talking dirty the entire time, getting Frank even closer to coming. 

“Holy shit, you’re so fucking deep, Jonah...” Frank moans, feeling his cock dripping sticky precum as Jonah repeatedly plows into his sweet spot. “Feels so fucking good,” he breathes out.

Frank looks back over his shoulder and watches Jonah, seeing him flip his sweat-dampened pink hair out of his eyes; he looks Jonah’s body up and down, watching his toned abs flexing with each thrust of his hips, admiring his sexy tattoos again. Frank is impressed that the guy doesn’t appear to be fatigued at all even though he hasn’t stopped working his hips back and forth once the entire time they’ve been fucking.

“Yeah? You like how that dick feels deep inside you?” says Jonah breathily, looking right back at Frank. 

“Fuck yeah,” Frank moans, biting his lower lip, watching a little smirk form on Jonah’s lips as they continue to stare at each other. “I’m gonna come soon if you keep hitting my spot like that...”

“Yeah? God, I wanna make you come so fuckin’ bad, boy...” says Jonah, gripping Frank’s hips tighter and beginning to fuck into him at double the speed from before.

“Oh _fuck_!” Frank moans loudly, feeling like he might pass out from how good Jonah’s making him feel. “Don’t stop, please don’t fucking stop...” he moans needily, burying his face in the blankets beneath him with his ass up in the air still, feeling like he’s gonna come any second now from how deep, hard and fast Jonah’s fucking him.

“I ain’t gonna stop ‘til you fuckin’ blow that load,” Jonah says breathily, his voice sounding strained as though he’s right on the edge of coming. He reaches beneath Frank and firmly wraps one of his hands around the boy’s precum-dripping cock and starts jerking it back and forth quickly as he continues to fuck into him. 

It’s not long before Frank’s muscles suddenly tense up and he moans uncontrollably as waves of intense pleasure go through his body as he comes, shooting his load all over Jonah’s hand and the bedsheets below him as he does.

“Shit, Frankie...you feel even fuckin’ tighter on my dick when you’re coming,” Jonah says before suddenly moaning loudly, sounding like he’s about to come. And, he does; a moment later Jonah’s body goes rigid and he doubles over as he blows his load into the condom, deep inside of Frank’s tightness. “Holy _fuck_ ,” he says, panting as his body shudders from the intensity of the pleasure he feels. 

Jonah pulls out and then Frank rolls over onto his back, feeling dazed and just fucking amazing. Frank is surprised when Jonah gets off the bed and heads into the bathroom to dispose of the condom and wash his hands at the sink. He thinks for a moment that maybe he’s gonna come back over to the bed after he dries off his hands, but he doesn’t. 

Instead, Frank watches as Jonah starts messing with his hair in front of the mirror. He can’t help but to feel a little disappointed by Jonah’s lack of post-sex intimacy; he’s so used to Gerard cuddling with him and kissing him so tenderly after each time they make love. He gets up and makes his way into the bathroom, standing next to Jonah in front of the counter, meeting his eyes through the mirror.

“I think I wanna be a blonde bitch now,” says Jonah casually as he continues to mess with his hair. “Think it’d suit me?”

“Do you always just fuck off right after you come?” asks Frank bluntly, ignoring Jonah’s request for input about his next choice of hair colour.

Jonah’s brow furrows and he lowers his hands, turning to look at Frank now. “What?” he asks.

“You didn’t even kiss me or hold me or _anything_ after we both came. You just fucked off like I was some random guy.”

“So...you sayin’ you want me to treat you like you’re my boyfriend even though you’re not?” asks Jonah, raising an eyebrow. “Like...I don’t get why you’re pissed. You even said yourself that you don’t need me to be romantic ‘cause “Gerard has that covered.” Besides, it’s just gonna make shit harder for me if I pretend like this is more than just fucking.”

“Make what harder?”

“Just...forget it, Frankie,” says Jonah, shaking his head. “I don’t wanna get into it.”

There’s silence for a moment before Frank speaks again. “Aren’t I _sort of_ like your boyfriend?” he asks quietly. “I mean, you held my hand the last time we hung out and you told me that I’m one of your favourite people. I guess I just thought I was worthy of at least a quick cuddle or a kiss after sex.”

Jonah softly kisses Frank on the forehead and then pulls him into a tight hug. “I’m sorry, Frankie. You do deserve affection and shit after sex, but I just assumed you didn’t need it or expect it from me,” he says sincerely. “I know I can be an asshole sometimes, but I promise I don’t mean to be, bro. I’m just tryin’ not to overstep any boundaries.”

Frank nods his head against Jonah’s chest. “It’s okay. I get it,” he says. He does understand where Jonah’s coming from but at the same time he can’t help but to feel a little irritated at the guy for calling him “bro” when although they’re not boyfriends, they’re clearly much more than just “bros.”

They go back out into the bedroom and while they get dressed and change the soiled bedsheets, Jonah’s cracking jokes, trying to cheer Frank up and it works; the boy is in a much better mood by the time they make their way back out into the living room, holding hands. 

Tracy’s still sitting on the couch, but without his laptop now. “You good, bruh?” he asks Jonah with a little smirk on his face as the two guys walk back into the room.

“Fuck yeah, dude. Thanks,” says Jonah, smirking back and fist-bumping Tracy as he leads Frank over to the upholstered armchair across from the couch. “Who’s all here?” he asks as he and Frank hear a couple of new voices talking in the kitchen while they get comfy in the armchair, with Frank sitting in Jonah’s lap.

“Ben and Colton; they just gettin’ drinks,” says Tracy, leaning over the coffee table now.

Frank notices that Tracy’s using a switchblade to cut up a small amount of a white, crystal-like substance into small pieces on a small tray before crushing it into a fine powder with the end of the knife’s handle. He’s guessing that the substance is cocaine, but he’s not really sure.

“They wanna buy?” asks Jonah.

“Probs,” says Tracy, still concentrating on breaking down the white rock. “Colty looks fuckin’ done already though.”

“When’s that kid _not_ fuckin’ done?” asks Jonah with a laugh. 

Frank watches as Tracy quickly snorts a line of the fine, white powder off of the tray through a rolled up bill.

“Jooones!” a deep, booming voice suddenly exclaims loudly. Frank looks up and sees a tall, chubby guy with pale skin walk into the room carrying an open bottle of white wine in one hand. The guy is wearing a black snapback over his chest-length brown hair and he looks metal as hell with two full sleeves of colourful tattoos and one-inch stretched earlobe piercings on each ear that he’s not wearing any jewellery in at the moment.

“‘Sup, Benny?” says Jonah enthusiastically, smiling as Ben walks over to the armchair he’s sitting on with Frank.

“Not much, man. How’ve you been?” Ben asks as he fist-bumps Jonah, glancing curiously at Frank as he does.

“I been good, y’know...makin’ money, smokin’ weed—the usual,” says Jonah coolly. “This is Frankie, my sorta-boyfriend,” he says, looking over at Frank who’s surprised by the way Jonah has introduced him. 

“‘Sup, Frankie? I’m Ben.” He holds out his hand to Frank.

Frank grasps Ben’s hand and shakes it. “Hey, nice to meet you,” he says.

“So, what’s been keepin’ you outta trouble?” asks Jonah, continuing to catch up with his friend.

”I’ve just been working hella hours at the shop. I’m designing this huge back-piece for one of my regulars and it’s _so_ fuckin’ tight, dude,” says Ben animatedly. “It’s this badass wolf howling at the moon—I’ll send you a pic of it when it’s done.”

“Damn, bruh, that sounds dope as hell,” says Jonah, nodding. 

Colton then quietly walks into the room. He’s a short guy with tan skin and straight, dark, side-swept hair that’s almost covering his eyes completely. He’s wearing all black clothing and he sits down on the loveseat by himself after saying a quick and general “hey” to the guys.

“So, what’s a “sorta-boyfriend”?” asks Ben as he sits down on the couch next to Tracy.

Frank looks at Jonah, eager to know how he’d describe it, too. “Yeah, Jonah—what’s a “sorta-boyfriend”?” he asks cheekily.

Jonah smirks as he looks at Frank. “It’s a guy who you’re fuckin’ and who you lowkey really want to be your boyfriend but he can’t be ‘cause he already has one who he’s in love with,” he says simply, looking at Frank the entire time he’s explaining it.

Frank is too emotionally shaken by Jonah’s response to even comment on it. He’s pretty sure this is the stuff from before that Jonah said he didn’t want to get into with him. 

“Ah, gotcha,” says Ben, nodding thoughtfully. “I guess Tracy has... _three_ sorta-girlfriends then. It is three now, right?” he says with a smirk, eyeing Tracy before taking a swig of wine right from the bottle.

“Fuck off, Benjamin,” says Tracy distractedly as he changes the music from his phone. “At least I get mad pussy,” he says smugly, turning up the volume a bit.

“Hey, is it cool with you if I do a little blow?” Jonah quietly asks Frank as Ben and Tracy make cracks at each other. 

Frank is surprised that Jonah’s asking and he thinks back to what Gerard had said earlier about not wanting Jonah to use drugs around him. He doesn’t wanna seem like a total loser in front of all of Jonah’s friends by saying no though, and he doesn’t wanna stop Jonah from having fun, so he tells him, “Yeah, it’s cool.”

“I’ma need you to hop off my lap then, ‘kay?” says Jonah before giving Frank a quick kiss.

“Okay,” says Frank, getting off of Jonah’s lap and then sitting down on a cushion that’s on the floor in front of the coffee table. 

Tracy looks down at Frank and then kisses his teeth. “Bruh, get over here,” he says to the kid, scooting over on the couch to make room for him. “Ain’t nobody gotta sit on the floor at Tracy’s crib.”

Frank blushes and then gets up and goes over to the couch to sit down between Tracy and Ben. “Thanks,” he says.

“Where are your parents, dude?” asks Ben, looking at Frank. 

Frank raises an eyebrow. “Do I seriously look that young?” he asks, feeling mildly annoyed.

“Nah, he’s just bein’ a dick,” says Tracy without looking up, still fucking around on his phone.

“How old _are_ you though?” asks Ben, sounding more serious now.

“I’ll be nineteen next month,” Frank replies.

“Shit, you’re only eighteen? You’re just a baby,” says Ben. “Jones, you’re a fuckin’ cradle-robber,” he says, laughing.

Jonah flips Ben off as he concentrates on arranging a couple lines of coke on a small tray on his lap.

Frank rolls his eyes, absolutely tired of hearing people call him a baby. “Old people love telling me I’m fucking young as if I don’t already know,” he says.

There’s a sudden outburst of collective laughter and comments and even Ben is laughing as Frank just sits there with a smug smirk on his face.

“Attaboy, Frankie. You tell his old ass,” says Tracy.

“Dude, where’d you meet this kid? He’s kinda dope,” says Ben, still laughing a bit.

“He works with Jamia,” says Jonah just before snorting a line of coke off of the tray. “They’re sorta friends,” he adds, sniffing and rubbing his nose a bit afterwards.

“Fuckin’ yikes...” says Ben, taking another swig of wine from the bottle. “Has she stabbed you in the back yet?” he asks, looking over at Frank now.

“Sort of. She never told me that she used to date Jonah, but she got pissed at me for not telling her sooner that I was seeing him.”

“Sounds about right,” says Ben, nodding. He looks over at Tracy now. “Ay, this beat sounds sick, dude,” he says.

“Thanks, bruh,” says Tracy. 

“Yo, can someone give Colty a shake real quick?” asks Jonah after snorting a second line of coke through the rolled up bill. He’s wincing a bit as though his nasal passages are burning.

Ben immediately gets up from the couch and firmly shakes Colton’s shoulder. Colton immediately opens his eyes and looks completely out of it but alert.

“You good, homie? You passed out,” says Ben, returning to his seat now.

Colton mumbles something but no one seems to understand what he’s saying.

“What’d he take?” asks Jonah, looking at Ben as he pops a white pill. “Pass me the wine real quick?” he adds, reaching across the coffee table. Ben passes the bottle to Jonah and he takes a quick sip from it and swallows the pill before passing the bottle back to his friend.

“He took a xan bar just before we got here and I’m not sure what else he took earlier before we met up,” says Ben.

“You think he’s good? Does he need Narc? Should we like, splash some water in his face or some shit?” Jonah rambles. One of his knees is bouncing up and down as if he’s anxious and Frank wonders if it’s an effect of the lines of cocaine he’s just snorted. “I don’t think we should just let him sleep, like, I dunno, maybe someone should at least sit next to him so if he stops breathin’ then we’ll know right away. I got the Narc, so maybe it should be me, I dunno. But what if—“

“Jones, shut the fuck up and lemme numb-out in peace,” Colton says suddenly in a dazed-sounding, monotone voice, cutting off Jonah’s rambling and surprising everyone.

“See, homie’s awake and breathin’—he good, bruh,” Tracy says to Jonah reassuringly.

Jonah rubs his hands over his face, looking a little distressed. Frank’s getting worried; he’s never seen Jonah this on-edge before. He gets up and goes over to Jonah, sitting down on the guy’s lap which at least stops his knee from bouncing up and down. He then wraps his arms comfortingly around Jonah’s waist and just holds him.

“You okay?” asks Frank, looking at Jonah attentively, noticing that his pupils are hugely dilated now.

“Yeah, I’m just freakin’ the fuck out,” Jonah admits, shaking his head as if he’s trying to shake anxious thoughts out of his brain. “The coke isn’t helping.”

“Why don’t y’all go lie down in my room for a bit?” Tracy suggests.

“Yeah, c’mon, let’s go,” says Frank insistently, getting off of Jonah’s lap and taking his hand, pulling him up and out of the chair.

“Aight,” says Jonah with a sigh as he stands. “Man, fuck anxiety...makin’ me look like a fuckin’ pussy.”

“Bruh, shut the fuck up—anxiety ain’t make you weak. Everybody got that shit,” says Tracy.

“Yeah, he’s right,” says Paulo from somewhere in the room, and Frank wonders where the hell that guy has been this entire time.

As Frank and Jonah make their way back to Tracy’s room Frank hears Ben quietly say, “Finding your friend dead would fuck anybody up...” and it makes Frank’s heart hurt for Jonah. They get inside of the magenta-lit room again and they both lie down on their backs on top of the blanket on the king size bed.

“You okay?” Frank asks again as they lie there.

“Yeah, I will be. C’mere...” says Jonah, stretching out his arm, inviting Frank to move closer to him, which he does, now resting his head on Jonah’s chest, hearing his heart absolutely racing in his chest. “I’ve got PTSD; it gives me panic attacks sometimes. Just seeing Colty all passed out like that triggered me,” Jonah explains.

“Aww, I’m sorry...” says Frank. “That sounds fucking terrifying,” he says empathetically.

“Yep, mental illness blows, that’s for fuckin’ sure,” says Jonah. “I can’t help feelin’ like a li’l bitch whenever I get panic attacks.”

“What Tracy said before about anxiety not making you weak is true though...” says Frank. “That guy seems like a really good friend to you.”

“He is. He’s the absolute best,” says Jonah sincerely. “He’s always lookin’ out for me.”

“Are you feeling better now?”

“Yeah. Thanks, Frankie,” says Jonah, kissing Frank on the forehead, making the kid feel all warm inside.

“Yeah, of course.”

“I wish you could come back to my place and spend the night with me,” says Jonah longingly. “Sometimes I get so fuckin’ lonely at night.”

“Aww...” says Frank, feeling a little sad after hearing that. “I‘d totally spend the night with you if Gerard was cool with it.”

“I know you would, babe,” says Jonah. “I don’t know anybody like you.”

Frank smiles. “What do you mean?”

“You’re just so...comforting. I dunno how else to describe it. I just...really like being around you.”

Frank tilts his head up to meet Jonah’s eyes and he smiles. “I really like being around you, too, Jonah,” he says.

Jonah smiles back and kisses Frank softly on the lips. 

Frank’s not sure when it happens, but at some point he falls asleep and when he wakes up he’s still lying in Tracy’s bed with his head on Jonah’s chest, but there’s another voice in the room who Jonah’s talking to softly and as he listens, pretending to be asleep still, Frank is surprised when he realizes that it’s Gerard’s voice.

“He looks so peaceful,” says Gerard, and Frank can hear the smile in his voice.

“Right?” says Jonah. “Thanks for lettin’ me spend time with him, man. He’s pretty fuckin’ special.” 

“I know,” says Gerard.

“How are you so cool with him doin’ shit with me? ‘Cause I can tell that you’re more than in love with him and I just don’t know how you do it.”

“I just know that he loves me, too. And I don’t want him to miss out on certain experiences he can only have when he’s young,” Gerard explains. “How are you so cool with him being with _me_?” he counters.

“I just get fucked up, man. That’s how I deal,” says Jonah with a quiet laugh. 

“Seriously?” asks Gerard, sounding a little sad. 

“Yeah. Frankie’s the only person I’ve been with lately who I can actually picture myself bein’ with long term, and he’s in love with _you_. I’ve always had such shitty luck when it comes to relationships.”

There’s an awkward silence for a moment and Frank just lies there feeling shook by the fact that Jonah actually really wants him to be his boyfriend.

“I prolly shouldn’ta told you that...my bad,” says Jonah.

“No, it’s fine; the only way you can really connect with people is by being honest and vulnerable,” says Gerard. “I don’t know if it’s really my place to say this, but I think you should try to get off the coke and the pills and whatever else you take. I don’t like the fact that you do that shit around Frankie.”

“Yeah, I feel you, man. And I don’t take offence to you sayin’ that or anything. I definitely need a kick in the ass,” says Jonah. “I do wanna get clean though; I know I need to.”

“That’s good to hear,” says Gerard. “I know you’re a good guy and that you care about Frankie. It’s just the drugs that I have a big issue with.”

“I hear you, dude,” says Jonah. “I appreciate you sayin’ somethin’ about it.”

“Yeah, no worries,” says Gerard. “They have NA meetings all over the city nowadays. I can get you some more info if you’re interested.”

“Sure, man. Thanks.”

There’s more silence for a moment.

“You want me to wake him up so you two can bounce?” asks Jonah.

“No, just let him sleep; he looks comfortable. And adorable. I’ll just hang out for a bit until he wakes up.”

“Why don’t you come join us over here instead of just standin’ there? There’s lots of room. I promise I don’t bite.”

“Yeah, okay, sure,” says Gerard with a light chuckle.

Frank hears Gerard walk over and then feels him carefully get onto the bed next to him and lie down behind him. He decides he’s done enough eavesdropping now so he starts to shift around on the bed and he groans lightly as though he’s just waking up. He then he opens his eyes and looks up at Jonah, whose chest he’s still resting his head upon. 

“Hey,” says Frank sleepily, smiling up at Jonah with tired eyes. 

“Hey,” says Jonah, smiling back. “Guess who‘s here.”

“Hmm?” says Frank just before Gerard leans over and kisses the side of his neck from behind. Frank then rolls over and is met with Gerard’s kind eyes. “Oh my God, hey, Gerard,” he says, smiling happily.

Gerard smiles back and Frank melts at the way the man’s eyes crinkle in the corners as usual. “Hey, baby. It’s past one now,” he says.

“Mmm, sorry...fell asleep,” says Frank, stretching a bit.

“It’s okay,” says Gerard.

Frank then puts his hand on the back of Gerard’s neck and pulls him in close for a kiss which he quickly gets lost in, enjoying the familiarity of making out with his boyfriend. Gerard has to pull away before it gets too heated while they’re still in bed with Jonah lying right next to them.

“Frankie, c’mon...Jonah’s right here,” says Gerard in a somewhat scolding manner.

“He doesn’t mind. Right, Jonah?” says Frank, recalling what Jonah had said earlier about wanting to watch them fuck.

“Yeah, it’s cool,” says Jonah casually. 

“See...” says Frank, looking at Gerard with a little smirk.

“He’s just being polite, baby,” says Gerard. “C’mon, we should probably get going now.”

Frank is enjoying lying here between these two and he wishes they could all just fall asleep together like this, but he knows it’s late and that he and Gerard can’t stay. 

They eventually all get up from the bed and make their way out into the living room where Frank and Gerard say bye to Jonah’s friends before they head out the door. Gerard goes to wait in the car which is parked right in front of the house while Jonah and Frank stay back to say goodbye to each other on the front porch. 

“You have fun tonight?” asks Jonah.

Frank smiles. “Yeah, I had a really good time,” he says. “Your friends are great.”

“I already can’t wait to see you again,” says Jonah, smiling.

Frank blushes. “Same here,” he admits. “I’ll text you.”

“Yeah, sounds good.”

“Okay, well, I guess I should get going now...” 

Jonah takes a step closer to Frank and softly kisses the boy’s forehead, making him feel pleasantly warm inside. “G’night, Frankie,” he says afterwards.

“Night, Jonah,” says Frank before turning and heading down the front steps to the car. When he gets there he hops in, shuts the door behind him and buckles up.

“A forehead kiss?” says Gerard, looking over at Frank with a smile on his face as he begins to drive away. ”That was pretty sweet of him.”

Frank blushes. “You were watching us?”

“Of course I was,” says Gerard, chuckling a bit. “I actually kinda like watching you with him; you guys are cute together.”

Frank looks over at Gerard, surprised by his comment. “You really think so?”

“Yeah, I do,” Gerard admits. “Maybe when we get home we can take a shower together and you can tell me all about your night,” he says, looking over at Frank for a second as he drives.

“Yeah, okay,” says Frank, nodding with a smile on his face, eager to tell his boyfriend everything.


	16. Chapter 16

It’s a quiet Sunday morning and Frank is contentedly waking up in bed next to Gerard, enjoying the warm, honey-coloured sunlight streaming in through the bedroom window as he stretches out his well-rested limbs. Gerard shifts around on the bed and then carefully drapes his arm over Frank’s body from behind as he nuzzles his face into the crook of the boy’s neck, lovingly pressing soft kisses against his youthful skin, making the kid feel all warm inside.

“Happy birthday, love,” says Gerard softly, his voice slightly muffled as he speaks against Frank’s skin. “Nineteen kisses on your neck...” he says sweetly. 

Frank smiles and hums relaxedly, enjoying the way Gerard is kissing him and making him feel so special and loved. “Thank you, babe,” he says, holding Gerard’s hand where it’s resting against his abdomen, underneath the blankets.

“I only have you to myself for the morning and then later tonight, right?” asks Gerard, lifting his head up now and sweetly kissing the side of Frank’s face.

“Yeah...” says Frank with a small sigh. He and his mom had agreed to a birthday lunch at the house, and after that, Frank is going to hang out with Jonah for a bit before he comes back home to have dinner with Gerard.

“Well, what would you like to do? I could make you some breakfast, we could go out somewhere... You tell me,” Gerard continues, gently kissing along Frank’s shoulder blade now.

Frank changes positions so that he’s lying on his other side, facing Gerard now. “I just want you...” he says before leaning in and pressing his lips against Gerard’s, kissing him deeply as he slides a hand down between their bodies and starts rubbing it against Gerard’s soft cock, over the fabric of the man’s boxers.

“Baby...” says Gerard against Frank’s lips. “I don’t think it’s gonna happen right now.”

“Why not?” asks Frank, slipping his hand down the inside of the front of Gerard’s boxers now, wrapping his fist around the man’s soft length and rubbing it up and down, determined to get him hard.

“It’s just...not,” says Gerard, seeming quite sure. “Maybe we can try later?”

“Okay,” says Frank, feeling a little disappointed as he pulls his hand out of Gerard’s boxers, but trying not to show it—he doesn’t want Gerard to feel bad or embarrassed about not being able to get an erection right now.

“I’m sorry...” says Gerard, kissing Frank again. “You know I want you, too.”

“It’s not your fault, babe. And, I know you do,” says Frank between kisses, affectionately placing a hand against one of the man’s stubbly cheeks. “We’ll try later like you said.”

“I still wanna get you off right now though...” says Gerard, gently placing a hand on Frank’s bare hip. “Do you want me to?”

Frank nods eagerly. “Fuck yeah. You know I’d never say no to that,” he says with a bit of a smirk on his face before going in for another kiss.

Gerard smiles into the kiss as he gently rolls Frank over onto his back. He then puts his hand down the front of Frank’s boxers and wraps one of his large hands around the boy’s hard cock, beginning to stroke it up and down with purpose as they make out intensely. Frank is moaning lightly into Gerard’s mouth and he starts rubbing the man’s sexy, muscular arms and shoulders up and down, feeling himself getting even harder in Gerard’s hand as he does.

Gerard suddenly pulls away and takes his hand out of Frank’s boxers before rolling onto his back. “C’mere...come sit on daddy’s face, baby...” he says.

Frank’s stomach flip-flops pleasantly because he finds it so hot that those words have just come out of Gerard’s mouth. He eagerly lifts his ass and pulls off his boxers before sitting up and carefully straddling Gerard’s body with his ass right above the man’s face. Frank then lets out a surprised little gasp when he feels his boyfriend wrap his strong arms around his upper thighs and pull him down so that his ass is right on his mouth. Gerard then begins licking at Frank’s tight hole, causing the boy to moan loudly and throw his head back with his eyes closed because of how good it feels; Gerard’s stubbly face is rubbing against his asscheeks and he’s enjoying the feel of it as the man firmly holds him down as he pleasures him.

“Daddy, that feels so fucking good...oh my God,” Frank moans as Gerard expertly pleasures his asshole. 

Gerard is moaning, too, as he eats Frank’s ass out and the boy finds it so sexy how much the man is enjoying getting him off. Gerard suddenly wraps one of his hands around Frank’s cock and starts jerking him off again; Frank almost loses it and comes right then because of how good his boyfriend is making him feel. 

“Fuck, I’m getting so close...” says Frank breathily, putting his hand over top of the one Gerard has on his cock, stopping him from continuing, wanting to make this last longer. “It’s too fucking good.”

Gerard gently pushes Frank off of his face and then the boy lies down on his back, looking over at his boyfriend expectantly, waiting to be told what’s next.

“Pull your legs back,” Gerard orders as he reaches over towards the bedside table drawer and takes something out of it.

Frank does as Gerard says and then looks over at what the man is now holding in his hands. The boy smiles excitedly when he sees that Gerard is holding their bottle of lube and the silver “daddy’s boy” butt plug that he’d gotten for Frank months ago. 

Gerard chuckles a bit when he sees the pleased expression on Frank’s face. He puts the items down on the bed and then climbs on top of Frank, lying between the boy’s legs and propping himself up on his elbows. Frank wraps his legs around Gerard’s waist, drapes his arms over the man’s shoulders and then pulls him down until their lips are almost touching. 

Gerard just stares down at the boy for a moment and then he smiles. “You’re everything to me, Frankie,” he says as he sensually ghosts his lips against Frank’s. 

Frank smiles and blushes and he feels his heart swell from the sentiment. “I love you so much, Gerard,” he says softly as he gently toys with the hair at the nape of Gerard’s neck.

Gerard smiles and then closes the gap between their lips, kissing Frank softly for a moment before pulling back. “I love you, too, baby boy,” he says. “I’m never gonna stop.”

Frank smiles even wider then and he pulls Gerard down close for another kiss, which quickly gets heated as Frank starts lifting his hips up, trying to rub himself against Gerard’s body and pushing against the man’s lower back with his legs, trying to force him down to create pleasurable friction between them.

“I want all your weight on me, daddy...” says Frank breathily between soft moans as Gerard now feverishly kisses his neck. 

Gerard chuckles lightly into the crook of Frank’s neck between kisses. “No, baby; I’ll fucking crush you,” he says. 

“I know... I _want_ you to,” says Frank needily, wrapping his legs even tighter around Gerard’s body. “Please, daddy?” he asks in a whiny voice.

Frank gasps when Gerard suddenly and easily pulls out of Frank’s hold on him and then scoots down the bed a little until his face is right above Frank’s hard cock. Gerard then roughly pushes the boy’s legs back until his knees are tight against his chest, spreading him open and exposing his tight asshole. Gerard looks up at Frank now from between the boy’s legs with this stern look on his face that just makes Frank feel even more aroused as he stares back at the man. 

“When I tell you “no,” it fucking means no,” Gerard says firmly as he grabs the bottle of lube and flips open the lid with his thumb. “Do you understand?” he asks as he warms a glob of the clear gel between his fingers.

“Yes, daddy,” says Frank breathily, nodding and biting his lower lip, loving this game of ‘daddy disciplines his boy’ they’re playing.

“Good,” says Gerard, finally rubbing the warmed-up glob of lube against Frank’s waiting hole before slowly entering him with one finger.

Frank closes his eyes and arches his back as he moans, feeling his cock begin to throb from how badly he needs to come after the small bit of edging he’d done earlier. “Daddy...” he groans pleasantly, enjoying the feeling of Gerard’s finger working itself deeper into his tightness as he squirms around on the bed, letting his boyfriend do whatever he pleases to him. 

“Like that, baby? Does that feel good?” Gerard asks teasingly just before adding in a second finger, stretching the boy’s hole out even more as he moves his fingers in and out of his tightness. 

“Fuck yes, daddy...” Frank moans, looking down at Gerard and wrapping his fist around his hard cock which is now dripping clear, sticky precum onto his lower abdomen. 

“Stop touching yourself,” Gerard orders sternly, looking right back up at Frank.

“But, daddy...” Frank whines, feeling so good and so close to coming as he strokes his cock; he just wants to get off...

But, Gerard’s not having it; he reaches up with his free hand and grabs Frank’s wrist, pulling the boy’s hand off of his own cock. “You’re being naughty, Frankie,” he says. “You wanna be punished? Is that it?” he asks, smirking a bit just before he shoves his two fingers into Frank’s hole as deep as they’ll go, roughly stimulating his prostate.

Frank moans loudly and arches his back, feeling an intense ripple of pleasure pass through his body, making his cock throb even more. “Yes, daddy...punish me...stretch my hole out,” he says needily, trying to fuck himself on Gerard’s fingers now by lifting his ass up and down repeatedly.

“You’re so fucking naughty and sexy, baby...goddamn,” says Gerard in a low voice, just letting Frank use his fingers like a sex toy, obviously enjoying watching him. “You want the plug inside you now?” he asks after a while.

“Yeah, I want it,” says Frank, nodding eagerly as he breathes hard from the physical exertion of riding Gerard’s fingers.

Gerard pulls his fingers out of Frank and then grabs the butt plug from where it’s lying on the bed. He coats the metal plug with a generous amount of lube before positioning the head of it at Frank’s opening and beginning to press against it firmly.

“Relax a little more, baby...” says Gerard, gently caressing one of Frank’s inner thighs as he slowly works the plug inside him. 

Frank does as Gerard says, focusing on relaxing his ass muscles more, pushing out against the cool metal that’s pressing into him. 

“Yeah, that’s it, baby...that’s my good boy,” says Gerard softly, gently kissing Frank’s thigh now as the boy moans and whimpers softly. 

“It’s so fucking big, daddy...” says Frank breathily, gripping the sheets tightly as Gerard continues to push the butt plug into him, almost at its widest point now. “I don’t remember it being this fucking big...” he says, feeling the stretch becoming quite intense but kind of loving it at the same time.

“It’s almost all the way in, sweet boy...” says Gerard, holding still for a moment, continuing to press gentle kisses against Frank’s inner thigh. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” says Frank, nodding as he tries to relax his muscles even more around the plug now as Gerard continues to push it into him.

“Love seeing your hole all stretched out like this; it’s so fucking sexy,” says Gerard as Frank moans and grabs at the disheveled bedsheets. “You’re being such a good boy for me, baby...”

Frank suddenly gasps when he feels the butt plug finally slip all the way in, now sitting comfortably inside of him, making him feel full and sexy.

“Holy fuck... I wish you could see how your hole just swallowed that up... So fucking hot,” says Gerard intensely. “You like having your pretty little hole all filled up like this?” he asks teasingly, now looking up at Frank. 

“Yes, daddy,” says Frank, half-moaning as he squirms around on the bed, eager to get off but trying be obedient to Gerard and not touch himself.

“You wanna come?” asks Gerard with a slight smirk on his face as he watches Frank.

“Yes, please, daddy,” says Frank, nodding and biting his lower lip and giving Gerard his best puppy eyes as he nods eagerly. “Want you to make me come.”

Gerard groans somewhat frustratedly and longingly as he watches Frank being all sexy for him, and then he suddenly takes the boy’s rock-hard cock into his mouth. Frank begins to whimper and moan and grab the bedsheets when he feels Gerard’s tongue begin to swirl around his cockhead, which is now enveloped in his warm, wet mouth. 

“Oh fuck...” Frank moans loudly, tangling his fingers in Gerard’s hair as the man begins to bob his head up and down on his cock, taking it deeper down his throat each time. “Daddy, can I please fuck your mouth?” he asks, sounding super needy as he grabs Gerard’s hair a little tighter now.

Gerard pulls his lips off of Frank’s cock for a moment, letting it fall back against the boy’s belly as he chuckles and looks up at him. “No fucking way,” he says, shaking his head. “Just lie there and let me get you off, baby.”

“I asked nicely though...” says Frank in a whiny voice, looking down at Gerard with a coy smile.

Gerard laughs lightly and kisses Frank’s left hip. “You’re pushing it...” he says before taking Frank’s cock back into his mouth, continuing to suck up and down the hard shaft.

Frank leans up on his elbows and groans pleasantly as he stares down at Gerard who’s expertly sucking his cock and staring right back at him. He begins to feel little jolts of intense pleasure go through his body like pleasant electric shocks letting him know he’s close to coming. Gerard begins to deepthroat his cock then, moaning as he effortlessly takes Frank’s entire length down his throat and begins repeatedly and firmly pushing against the hilt of the butt plug, stimulating the boy’s prostate; making him absolutely lose it.

“Holy _shit_ ,” Frank moans, squeezing his eyes shut and throwing his head back. “Daddy, I’m gonna come...” he says in a strained voice as his muscles tense up and he feels the sweet rush of his orgasm rippling throughout his body as cum spurts from his cockhead, into Gerard’s mouth.

Gerard is moaning around Frank’s cock as he sucks it dry and swallows, and the boy finds it all incredibly hot. Frank shivers pleasantly when Gerard finally pulls his lips off of his length and then lies down next to him, scooting his body up the bed and placing one of his large hands on Frank’s rapidly rising and falling chest.

Frank dazedly turns his head to face Gerard. “Fuck, that was amazing, babe,” he says breathily, placing one of his hands on top of Gerard’s where it’s resting on his chest.

Gerard smiles and then Frank scoots his body closer to Gerard’s, snuggling up to him and laying his head against the man’s firm, hairy chest as he comes down from his intense orgasm.

After a while of them lying there in silence, Frank speaks. “You sure you don’t wanna come with me to my mom’s later?”

“I thought we agreed that it’s not a good idea,” says Gerard. “I don’t wanna cause any more drama with her. Especially not on your birthday.”

Frank sighs. “I know... I just wish she could see how good we are together. I really wish she liked you and that we could go see her together like a regular couple.”

“I know, baby,” says Gerard, kissing Frank’s forehead sweetly. “Maybe we can work up to that. Like, maybe I’ll come to the door and say “hi” to her when I drop you off there later,” he suggests.

Frank smiles, liking the idea. “Okay,” he says, tilting his head up and kissing Gerard on his stubbly cheek. “Hey, how come you don’t grow your beard out?”

Gerard chuckles. “‘Cause I’m starting to get some grey hairs in my beard,” he says, rubbing a hand over his cheeks and chin. “They show my age a little more than I’d like to.”

“Well, I think you should try growing it out,” says Frank, studying Gerard’s face. “It’d look so sexy on you.”

Gerard laughs, obviously thinking Frank isn’t being serious. “Sexy? Well, if you like that ‘old man’ look, I guess,” he says with a smirk. 

“It’s called a _mature_ look, and yeah, I think it’d look sexy,” says Frank before kissing Gerard on the cheek again. “Besides, the beard will feel nice rubbing against my ass while you’re eating me out,” he whispers into the man’s ear.

Gerard chuckles and kisses Frank’s lips. “You’re naughty, babe,” he says afterwards, grinning. “I guess if you’re into that then I’ll give it a try for a little while.”

Frank smiles with a pleased expression on his face. “Yay, thank you,” he says.

“By the way, do you want to open your birthday gifts now or later?” asks Gerard, sounding as though he’s just remembered them.

Frank’s eyes light up in surprise; he’d totally forgotten that Gerard would be getting him gifts for his birthday as the man hadn’t asked him for any ideas or anything. “Can I open them now, please?” he asks eagerly.

Gerard smiles. “Of course—I was hoping you’d say that.”

Gerard then gets up from the bed and Frank sits up with his back against the headboard and pulls the bedsheets up to cover his naked lower half. The boy watches as Gerard opens the closet door and retrieves a large plastic bag from the top shelf. The man then takes out a large gift bag from inside the plastic bag, brings it back over to the bed and sets it down next to Frank before getting back into bed next to him, sitting up beside him with his back also against the headboard.

“Go ahead,” says Gerard, smiling and looking eager as he urges Frank to begin opening his gifts.

Frank smiles, too, and then reaches into the bag, first pulling out a card. He takes it out of the envelope and then opens it up to reveal a handwritten note from Gerard:

_Dear Frankie,_

_I’m not sure what I ever did to deserve to love and be loved by you. To be honest, sometimes it doesn’t even feel real._

_But, when I pinch myself and realize that this is, in fact, real life, I feel like I’m the luckiest man in the entire world._

_You never fail to make me smile and to brighten my days. You’re kind, honest, thoughtful, funny, handsome, cheeky as hell...and that’s just the tip of the iceberg of all the things that I love about you._

_Today and always, I wish you every happiness that you could ever dream of. You deserve it—especially considering how happy you’ve made me._

_Happy 19th birthday, Frankie. I love you with all of my heart, Baby Bear._

_Yours Always,_

_Gerard_

When Frank looks up at Gerard after reading the sweet birthday message he’d written in the card, he realizes that his vision is blurry from the happy tears that have filled his eyes. He sees that Gerard’s eyes are looking glassy, too, and he immediately throws his arms around him and kisses him passionately, melting when he feels the man’s arms wrapping snuggly around his waist. It’s not like Frank hadn’t had a clue as to how much Gerard loves him, but seeing his boyfriend’s feelings written out so clearly for him in the card just makes him feel so emotional. 

Frank eventually pulls away from the embrace and wipes his eyes with the backs of his hands. “This is the sweetest card I’ve ever gotten,” he says honestly. 

Gerard smiles and then kisses the boy on the cheek. “You mean so much to me, Frankie,” he says. “Why don’t you open the rest of your gifts now?”

“Okay,” says Frank, smiling, too. He pulls some light blue tissue paper out of the gift bag and then reaches his hand back in and pulls out the first gift which is a black T-shirt with rainbow-coloured writing that says, “I can’t think straight.” Frank laughs as he reads the shirt aloud. “Oh my God, this is perfect,” he says.

“I thought so,” says Gerard with a light chuckle.

Next, Frank pulls out a skincare and shave set from the gift bag. “Oh, sweet! I really needed something like this,” he says as he reads the package to see what’s included in the set. “I don’t really know how to shave properly so it’ll be cool to learn.”

“Yeah, I noticed that,” says Gerard. “I’ll show you.”

“Thanks. My dad didn’t teach me shit,” says Frank. He reaches into the bag again and pulls out yet another gift: a small basket which is filled with assorted candies and chocolates. “Oh, yum—I’ll probably finish all of these in like two days,” he says with a laugh.

“That’s okay; I know you have a sweet tooth,” says Gerard, looking like he’s enjoying watching Frank opening all his gifts. “Go on—there’s a few more things in there,” he urges gently.

“Oh my God, you totally spoiled me, babe,” says Frank, smiling as he reaches into the gift bag again. This time he pulls out four jockstraps, each in a different colour: blue, red, black and white. 

“I admit that this is kind of a selfish gift—I just really wanted to see you wearing a jockstrap...” says Gerard, watching Frank’s intrigued expression as he holds up the undergarments. “I think they’ll look so sexy on you. Do you like them?”

Frank examines the underwear. “Yeah, I do like them. I’ve never worn one before though, so I’m not really sure how they’re gonna look on me.”

“Why don’t you try one on?” Gerard suggests. “I’ve already washed them so I could see you in them right away,” he admits.

“Okay,” Frank agrees excitedly. He decides to try on the black pair; he gets off the bed and steps into the undergarment, adjusting his cock and balls in the pouch after pulling them up. “What do you think?” he asks, doing a little spin to show Gerard how he looks from all angles. When he turns to face Gerard again, the man is nodding and staring with a pleased look on his face.

“I think I’m gonna have to fuck you in those later,” says Gerard, biting his lower lip, clearly enjoying the view. “They look really, really sexy on you, baby—just like I knew they would.”

Frank giggles adorably and turns around again, showing off his exposed ass to Gerard again with the “daddy’s boy” butt plug still inside. “Thanks, babe. They’re insanely comfy,” he says, adjusting the bands of elastic just underneath his asscheeks while his boyfriend stares. Frank then gets back onto the bed, still wearing the jockstrap, and sits up against the headboard next to Gerard again.

“There’s just one more gift in there...”

Frank reaches into the bag and when he pulls out a game—Skater XL for XBox—his eyes light up immediately. “Oh my God! I’ve been wanting to get this game for so long,” he says happily. “How did you know?” he asks as he looks up at Gerard.

“I’ve heard you mention it a few times,” says Gerard, smiling, clearly enjoying how happy Frank is right now. 

“Thank you so much, Gerard. You definitely spoiled me with everything you got for me and it was all so thoughtful. I love all of it, but I love you the most,” says Frank just before planting a soft kiss upon Gerard’s smiling lips.

“You’re sweet, baby,” says Gerard, still smiling as he affectionately smooths Frank’s hair, making the boy smile, too.

*

It’s noon and Gerard has just pulled up in front of Frank’s mom’s house to drop him off there for the birthday lunch he’s having with her. 

Frank looks over at Gerard as they both take off their seatbelts. “Are you still coming to the door?” he asks. 

“Yeah,” says Gerard with a little sigh as he nods, looking as though he’s mentally preparing himself to face Linda for the first time since she’d walked in on him and Frank having sex in the boy’s bedroom several months ago. 

Frank smiles a bit, knowing Gerard is just doing this for him, and he leans over and kisses the man on the cheek. “Thank you,” he says sincerely. 

“Yeah, of course,” says Gerard, returning the smile.

They both get out of the car then and make their way up the front steps of the house. Frank knocks on the front door five times and then they stand there waiting, hearing footsteps approaching shortly before the door begins to swing open.

“Why didn’t you just use your key instead of—” Linda begins as she opens the front door, but she stops speaking and her face falls when she sees that Gerard is standing next to Frank. “Oh. What are _you_ doing here?” she asks coldly, addressing Gerard and then looking at Frank curiously.

“I’m just dropping Frankie off; thought I’d say a quick “hello” to you before I head off,” says Gerard, seeming unbothered by Linda’s unfriendliness while Frank is biting the inside of his lip, trying not to say anything that might “cause drama,” like Gerard had put it earlier.

“Oh, okay, well...hi,” says Linda snidely with a quick little wave of her hand. She looks at Frank now. “Are you coming in, honey?” she asks, sounding eager to shut the door in Gerard’s face.

“Yeah,” says Frank, nodding. He looks over at his boyfriend and smiles. “I’ll see you later, Gerard.”

“See you later, baby bear. Have a nice time with your mom,” says Gerard, smiling back as Frank goes up on his tip-toes to kiss his cheek. 

“Thanks. Love you.”

“Love you,” says Gerard. “Take care, Linda,” he says politely to Frank’s mom before turning around and heading back down the front steps to his car.

Frank steps inside the house and then his mom shuts the door behind him while he toes off his shoes.

“Happy nineteenth birthday, sweetie,” Linda says when Frank looks up, holding her arms open.

Frank smiles and accepts the hug. “Thanks, Mom,” he says.

“I still remember the day you were born like it was yesterday...” Linda says as they walk towards the kitchen.

“Please don’t tell me about it _again_ ,” says Frank, earning himself a little nudge in the side from his mom as he sits down on a stool in front of the kitchen island counter.

“Fine—I’ll spare you this year,” says Linda with a little laugh as she checks on something in the oven which smells delicious. “I gotta say: I definitely wasn’t expecting to see Gerard today...” she says as she begins dicing a tomato on a wooden cutting board.

Frank shrugs. “Do you need a warning before every time he comes to the door?”

Linda looks up and gives Frank a disapproving look for being cheeky. “No, thank you very much,” she says before going back to dicing the tomato. “You know I don’t care for him though.”

“Yeah, you don’t need to remind me...” Frank rolls his eyes.

“I’m sorry. This probably isn’t what you wanna talk about on your birthday.”

“You’re right about that.”

“So, how was your morning? What’d you guys do?”

Frank feels his face get hot as he recalls what he and Gerard got up to that morning... “Uh, it was good,” he says vaguely. “I just opened my gifts and then we went out for a short walk and got some breakfast.”

“That sounds nice,” says Linda. “What’d he get you for your birthday?”

“He got me a T-shirt, a skincare and shaving set, some candy, a few pairs of underwear, and this skateboarding game for my XBox that I’ve wanted for while,” says Frank. “He also got me a card with a really sweet handwritten note inside.”

“Wow, someone got spoiled...” says Linda with a little chuckle. “That’s nice, honey.”

“Yeah, he totally did spoil me,” says Frank, smiling dreamily as he thinks about how wonderful Gerard is. 

“You know, as much as I dislike Gerard and don’t agree with your guys’ relationship at all, I have to admit that he does seem to treat you well and make you pretty happy.”

“He makes me more than happy, Mom,” says Frank. “I love him so much.”

Linda suddenly gets this sad expression on her face as she looks at her son. “I miss you so much, sweetie,” she says, sounding like she’s on the verge of tears. “Would it kill you to spend a little more time with me? To spend a few nights a week at home?”

“A few nights a week?” asks Frank, raising an eyebrow. “Mom, I live with him now; when are you just gonna accept that?”

Linda sighs frustratedly. “It’s like you’re in your own little world lately where he’s at the centre,” she says, sounding jealous. “You should be at home with me, Frankie; he practically stole my baby away from me.”

“I’m not a baby, Mom. And it was my choice to move in with him—he didn’t “steal me away” like you seem to think he did,” says Frank. “Stop trying to guilt trip me.”

“I’m not trying to guilt trip you. All I want is for you to pick up my calls more often and to visit me at _least_ once a week,” says Linda. “Even though you’re not living with me, I’m still your parent and you’re still my kid; I want to make sure you’re safe and cared for. And, I want to still have a relationship with you.”

“Okay,” he says, nodding. He does understand where his mom is coming from. “I’ll do a better job of staying in touch.”

“Thank you, Frankie,” says Linda. “I just miss you being here, y’know? I miss having to practically kick you out of bed every morning... I miss yelling at you for hoarding all the bowls and cups in your room... I miss all of the little things you do that used to annoy the shit outta me,” she says with a chuckle.

Frank laughs lightly. “I know you do, Mom,” he says. “I miss you, too,” he admits. 

Frank and his mom enjoy their lunch together (Linda made Frank’s favourite veggie lasagna and a Caprese salad) and then she presents him with a chocolate cupcake that has a single lit candle on top while she sings “Happy Birthday.” Linda later gives Frank his birthday gift which is a card with some cash inside, “so you can get something nice for yourself,” she tells him. Afterwards, they watch movies together until evening.

“So, do you have any plans for tonight?” asks Linda once the credits start rolling on the second movie they’ve watched. 

“Yeah, I’m going out with a friend later and then having dinner with Gerard,” says Frank distractedly as he checks his phone. He sees that he has a text message from Jonah from an hour ago that he must have missed during a loud part of the movie.

 **Jonah** : _hey bday boy what time should i come get u_

Frank smiles down at his phone screen and taps out a reply.

 **Frank** : _hey, sorry i missed ur text earlier. u can pick me up any time now_

Jonah replies right away.

 **Jonah** : _all good i’m omw now cya soon_

“Frankie?” 

Frank looks up from his phone. “Yeah?” he asks, realizing he hadn’t heard his mom talking to him just now. 

“I asked you where you and your friend are going tonight.”

“We’re just gonna chill at his place,” Frank lies, hiding the fact that Jonah is actually taking him to get a tattoo for his birthday. “He’s picking me up pretty soon, by the way.”

“Oh, okay,” says Linda, sounding sad that her son is going to be leaving soon. “So, which friend is this?” she asks curiously.

“Jonah,” says Frank. “He’s the guy I was seeing before Gerard and I got back together.”

“ _Oh_ ,” says Linda, raising an eyebrow. “Gerard’s okay with you two hanging out? Does he know you two were seeing each other before?” 

“Yeah, he knows. He’s cool with it,” says Frank casually. 

“Okay then...” says Linda, sounding a little apprehensive. “Hey, have you heard from your dad at all today?”

Frank shakes his head, feeling a little sad suddenly when he realizes that his own dad must have forgotten about his birthday or just not cared enough to call. “Nope,” he says. “I don’t even expect anything from him anymore.”

Linda looks sad, too. “I’m sorry, honey...”

Frank shrugs. “It’s okay, Mom; I’ve got you.” 

They both smile, then.

Jonah must have been in the area when Frank had texted him because just then there’s a knock on the front door.

“That must be Jonah,” says Frank, getting up from the couch. “Anyway, thanks for everything today, Mom. It was nice spending time with you on my birthday. I promise I’ll come over and see you more often.”

“You’re welcome, Frankie,” says Linda. “I really enjoyed the time together, too. I love you,” she says as she hugs her son. 

“Love you, too, Mom,” says Frank. “Hey, maybe one of these times Gerard could join us?” he asks as they part. 

“Uh...yeah, maybe. We’ll see, sweetie,” says Linda, sounding a little uncomfortable suddenly. 

“Okay,” says Frank, just happy to have gotten the idea out there. He makes his way to the front door and looks at his mom curiously when she follows him. “Uh...what are you doing?”

“What? I wanna meet this guy,” says Linda with a little shrug. “He showed up at _my_ front door, after all.”

Frank sighs dramatically, hating the fact that he’s going to be catching Jonah off guard with having to meet his mom right now. “Fine...” he says unenthusiastically, just before opening the door. 

“Hey, Frankie,” says Jonah, smiling as he lays eyes on Frank. He’s wearing a plain white T-shirt, which shows off the tattoos on his arms, with his usual pair of ripped black jeans. He’s also holding a single red rose in one hand and he smells strongly of weed and cologne, the latter of which makes Linda sneeze loudly. “Oh—hey, Frank’s Mom... Gesundheit,” he says when he notices Linda standing behind Frank after she sneezes.

“Oh, thank you, hi,” says Linda as she looks at Jonah with scrutiny.

“Hey, Jonah,” says Frank, feeling a little embarrassed that his mom is at the door with them. “This is my mom, Linda; Mom, this is my friend, Jonah,” he introduces the two.

Jonah holds out his hand to Frank’s mom and she reluctantly shakes it. “Nice to meet you, Linda,” he says.

“I wish I could say the same...” says Linda apprehensively as her hand parts with Jonah’s. She pauses for a short moment, just subtly looking the guy up and down. “Are you high?” she asks finally. 

Jonah raises an eyebrow, looking a little stunned. “Uh...’scuse me?”

Frank shoots his mom an intense glare, pissed at her for even thinking of asking that question upon meeting his friend for the first time.

Linda folds her arms across her chest. “You smell like a walking marijuana plant,” she says. “If you’re high, then you can forget about driving my son around tonight.”

“Well, I’m not, so...” says Jonah awkwardly, glancing at Frank, who’s growing increasingly embarrassed by his mom’s blunt comments.

“Okay, we’re gonna go now,” says Frank quickly, stepping out the door and hastily grabbing Jonah’s hand. “See you later, Mom,” he says, dragging Jonah with him down the front steps.

“I need you to call me later!” Linda calls out as Frank is already down the stairs, dragging Jonah with him by the hand towards the lime green Beamer that’s parked along the street in front of the house.

Jonah opens the passenger’s side door for Frank and then the boy gets in and Jonah shuts the door behind him and walks around to the other side of the vehicle, opening the door and getting in next to Frank.

“Damn, if I’d known I was gonna meet your mom tonight I prolly wouldn’ta left the house smellin’ like a fuckin’ hotbox...” says Jonah, looking over at Frank with a smirk on his face.

“God, I’m so sorry about that,” says Frank, bringing a hand up to his face, still feeling embarrassed about what had just happened. “She insisted on meeting you...” 

Jonah chuckles. “It’s no big deal, Frankie,” he says with a shrug before holding the red rose out to the boy. “This is for you.”

Frank smiles and takes the rose from Jonah. “Thank you,” he says, feeling pleasantly warm all of a sudden.

Jonah then reaches into his pocket and takes out a small tin container. “This is what’s makin’ me smell so good,” he says with a little laugh, handing the container to Frank. 

Frank lays the rose down across his lap, still smiling, and then opens the tin container; a strong odour of weed meets his nose as soon as it’s open and his eyes light up and he grins. “Oh my God, this is amazing,” he says, looking at the six neatly rolled joints lined up inside of the container. “Thank you so much,” he says, now looking up at Jonah. 

“Ah, it’s nothin’,” says Jonah modestly with a little shrug as he admires Frank’s smile. “I honestly didn’t know what else to get you; I figured Gerard would be spoilin’ you with romantic shit...didn’t wanna get in his way or anythin’ like that.”

Frank smiles even more at the fact that Jonah could have gotten him literally anything but chose not to because he didn’t wanna show Gerard up; he thinks it was really thoughtful of the guy. Not knowing what to say, Frank leans in and presses his lips against Jonah’s, placing his hand on the back of the guy’s pink hair, sighing lightly into the kiss as Jonah puts his hand on the boy’s thigh. When they part they’re both smiling at each other and sort of blushing and Frank can’t help but to laugh a bit when he sees Jonah biting his lower lip because it’s so clear how much they both like each other but neither of them is acknowledging it. 

“Happy birthday, babe.”

“Thanks,” says Frank, blushing and smiling still, pleased that Jonah hasn’t called him “bro” once yet this evening.

“So, you still down for gettin’ inked?” 

Frank nods. “Hell yeah,” he replies eagerly, smiling as he thinks about the tattoo idea he’d brought up to Jonah last week. Jonah had been kind enough to ask Ben if he’d book Frank in for a tattoo session tonight (which Ben had more than willingly agreed to) and had even insisted on taking care of the cost of the body art as a birthday gift to the boy.

“Sweet. Let’s go, then,” says Jonah with a little smirk on his face. 

Jonah starts the car and then _skrrts_ off down the street, driving fast, as usual, and blasting music loudly through the speakers. Frank somehow hears his phone go off amidst the loud music and the revving of the engine and he takes it out of his pocket to see that the new message is from his mom.

 **Mom** : _Really not impressed with who you’re choosing to spend time with. That guy seems like bad news. And how the hell does he drive a car that expensive at his age??_

 **Frank** : _omfg why’d you have to be so rude to him??? it was embarrassing... he’s important to me and i hate that you’re judging him after only interacting with him for literally like a minute. and the car is just a lease. don’t worry about it._

 **Mom** : _So...some guy who I’ve never seen before who has pink hair, a bunch of tattoos on his arms and piercings on his face shows up at my front door smelling like marijuana and asking for my son and I’m supposed to just “not worry about it” ??? And, it’s pretty clear that he still likes you as more than just a friend considering he gave you a red rose on your birthday...that’s a pretty romantic gesture. I just want you to be careful, Frankie. I love you._

Frank looks up from his phone as Jonah speeds down the road, swerving in and out of traffic as if he gets high off of the adrenaline. “What do you tell people you do for work?” he asks.

“Why?”

“‘Cause my mom’s probably gonna ask me the next time I see her,” says Frank. “She’s already asking me how you can afford to drive this car.”

Jonah shrugs. “Just make somethin’ up,” he says casually as he shifts gears. 

“I already lied and told her the car’s just a lease,” says Frank. “What do your parents think you do?” 

“They don’t ask me what I do and I don’t tell ‘em,” says Jonah simply. “I’m sure they’ve got their suspicions but it seems like they don’t really wanna find out for sure.”

Frank silently mulls Jonah’s response over in his mind, wishing his mom would get off his ass about who he chooses to spend time with, and before he knows it, Jonah’s parking the car in front of Rage Ink, the tattoo parlour where Ben works. They both get out of the car and walk into the small shop where there’s hardcore music playing through the speakers. On the walls there are what looks like hundreds of tattoo art pieces pasted together into a collage-like form that’s pleasing to look at. There are two session areas; one on either side of the room, which are separated by a black room-divider that’s decorated with graffiti art.

“‘Sup, Jones?” Ben calls out as soon as he sees Jonah and Frank walk in. He’s sitting at a desk at the front of the shop, drawing something, and puts down his pencil when the two guys walk over to him.

“Not much, man,” Jonah replies as he and Ben slap hands and then fist-bump each other casually.

Ben looks over at Frank. “Hey, Frankie. Happy birthday, dude,” he says, holding a fist out to the boy.

“Hey, thank you,” says Frank, fist-bumping Ben.

“Take a look at the lettering I did for your tat; lemme know what you think,” says Ben, holding out a stencil of two words written in lowercase cursive writing.

Frank smiles broadly as he reads the words “daddy’s boy” on the stencil. “It looks fucking perfect,” he says, admiring Ben’s work. The lettering is fancy, but still easy to read, and Frank loves how it looks. He can’t wait to have the words inked on his skin. 

“Sweet, glad you like it,” says Ben, nodding. 

Ben then leads Frank over to one of the two session areas and instructs him to sit down in the comfortable client chair. The tattoo artist pulls his long, dark hair back into a messy bun and then washes his hands at the sink before putting on a procedure mask and then a pair of black nitrile gloves. He then pulls up a swivel chair next to where Frank is seated and Jonah pulls up a chair, too, sitting close to Frank on his right side where Ben’s not working. Frank feels comfortable and relaxed as he leans back in the chair while Ben cleans his inner left bicep with a cool antiseptic wipe before carefully shaving the area with a razor and then cleaning the area again to wipe away the stray hairs. 

“So, this is your first tat?” asks Ben as he continues to clean the tattoo site. 

“Yeah,” Frank replies.

Ben nods. ““Daddy’s boy,” huh,” he says, looking up at Frank before looking over at Jonah, who’s smirking a bit. “What made you decide on that phrase?”

Frank laughs lightly and goes a bit red in the face as he tries to hold still while Ben applies the stencil onto his skin. “Uh, my boyfriend and I role-play...” he says, hoping Ben gets the idea without having to explain it any further than that. “I’m just really into it.”

Ben laughs heartily. “Ah, I see, I see,” he says, nodding. “How do you think your parents will react when they see it?” he asks, moistening the stencil now.

Frank laughs. “Hopefully they never do,” he says. “That’s kinda why I’m getting it in this spot.”

“Your mom would fuckin’ freak if she saw it,” says Jonah, smirking as he does little half-spins on the swivel chair he’s sitting on.

“Yeah, she totally would,” says Frank as Ben carefully peels away the stencil from his arm. Frank looks to his left and reads the two words on his skin; he smiles, loving how they look on him.

“Is the placement okay with you?” asks Ben.

“Yeah, it’s perfect,” says Frank, nodding.

“Sweet,” says Ben. He then starts prepping the ink and tattoo gun while Frank looks on interestedly.

“You nervous?” asks Jonah, wheeling up on the chair so he’s sitting super close to Frank.

“Yeah, a little,” Frank admits. “I’m not sure how much pain to expect.”

“I’m gonna be honest; it’s kind of a sensitive area, but it’s not the worst,” says Ben. “It’ll only take about twenty minutes because of how small it is, so it really shouldn’t be too bad.”

“Want me to hold your hand?” asks Jonah sweetly.

“Yes, please,” says Frank, smiling and nodding.

* 

“It kinda feels like a sunburn; it’s not that bad,” says Frank, holding out his arm a bit and looking down at his freshly inked “daddy’s boy” tattoo which is covered with a clear bandage. He and Jonah are holding hands as they step out of the elevator and walk towards Gerard’s apartment door where Jonah is dropping Frank off for the night. “I really love it.”

“So do I; it’s sexy,” says Jonah as they get to Gerard’s apartment and stop outside of the front door. 

“Thank you so much for paying for it and everything. It was a super cool birthday gift.”

Jonah shakes his head. “Don’t mention it, Frankie,” he says. “I’m just happy you’re happy with it.”

Frank sighs then and looks up at Jonah longingly. 

“What’s that look for?” asks Jonah, smiling a bit with a curious expression on his face.

Frank shrugs and looks down at his feet for a second, thinking about what he wants to say, before looking up at Jonah again. “I just don’t want you to go...” he admits.

Jonah smiles and pulls Frank into a tight hug and the boy buries his face in the fabric of Jonah’s shirt as they embrace, taking in the scents of weed and cologne which are clinging to the guy’s clothing. “Wish we could hang out longer, too...” he says. “It was cool gettin’ to spend _some_ time with you on your birthday though.”

Frank pulls back and looks up at Jonah, suddenly thinking of an idea. “What if I asked Gerard if you can stay for dinner?”

Jonah looks unsure. “Uh, I dunno, Frankie...” he says. “He prolly has some romantic shit planned for you and I don’t wanna fuck it up.”

“He and I can always do that stuff after you leave...” says Frank simply with a little shrug.

“You really think he’d be cool with me havin’ dinner with you guys?” asks Jonah skeptically. “I _want_ to; I just don’t wanna overstep...”

Frank honestly isn’t sure what Gerard will think of the idea. “Let me just ask him, ‘kay?” he says.

“Aight, go ahead; it’s your call,” says Jonah with a little shrug.

“‘Kay, I’ll be back in a sec.”

Frank takes his key out of his pocket and opens the door to the apartment. Once inside, he’s immediately met with the pleasant aroma of Gerard’s cooking, and the man pokes his head out of the kitchen when he hears the door open. Frank closes the door behind him before Gerard has a chance to see Jonah standing out in the hall.

“Hey, Frankie,” says Gerard, smiling warmly at his boyfriend as he walks towards the front door, wiping his hands off with a checkered dish towel as he does. 

“Hey,” says Frank, smiling back as Gerard comes nearer to him.

“Missed you, baby,” says Gerard, pulling Frank into a hug which pretty much envelopes the boy’s entire body. “Happy you’re home.”

“And I’m happy to be home with you,” says Frank sweetly as he wraps his arms around Gerard’s waist and looks up at him fondly.

“Dinner will be ready in about twenty minutes,” says Gerard just before kissing the top of Frank’s head and letting go of him. He wrinkles his nose then. “You smell like weed. Were you smoking?” 

“No,” says Frank. “But, Jonah gave me a few joints for my birthday; they’re in my pocket.”

“Oh, okay,” says Gerard, nodding. “You should put them in another sealed container so that the place doesn’t start to smell like it.”

“Okay.”

“Is that rose from Jonah, too?” asks Gerard, gesturing to the red rose that Frank is holding in one hand.

“Yeah,” says Frank, blushing. 

“Aww, that was sweet of him,” says Gerard, smiling.

Frank smiles. “Yeah,” he agrees. “Hey, Gerard? Would it be okay with you if Jonah has dinner with us tonight?”

Gerard pauses for a moment, looking surprised. “Uh... Why?” he asks.

“Because I want him to?” Frank replies, his intonation making it seem like a question rather than a statement. “I just feel like spending a little more time with him...without having to spend less time with you,” he admits. 

“Oh...” says Gerard, nodding, thinking. “Well, it _is_ your birthday... I guess he can, if that’s what you want.”

“Really?” asks Frank, his eyes lighting up, surprised by Gerard’s acceptance of his request, although it had been less than enthusiastic. “You don’t have to say yes just to make me happy.” 

Gerard smiles down at the kid. “I know; I’m a sucker for seeing you happy though,” he says.

Frank smiles back, feeling all warm inside after hearing Gerard’s response. “Thank you, babe,” he says, going up on his tiptoes to give Gerard a soft kiss on the lips. “Can I tell him he can come in then? He’s just outside the door.”

“ _Oh_ , uh...yeah, sure,” says Gerard, seeming a little flustered as though he hadn’t been expecting Jonah to be here right this instant.

Frank opens the front door to the apartment and Jonah looks at him curiously when he does. “You can come in,” says Frank, smiling.

“Okay, sweet, thanks,” says Jonah, smiling back and looking a little surprised before stepping into the apartment. He looks over at Gerard once he’s inside. “Hey, Gerard.”

“Hey, Jonah,” Gerard returns politely.

“Thanks for havin’ me over, man,” says Jonah. “I know you weren’t expectin’ me...” he says as he toes off his shoes.

“Yeah, no worries,” says Gerard casually. “I couldn’t say no to Frankie—especially on his birthday,” he adds, glancing over at the kid with a little smirk on his face.

“Yeah, I feel you,” says Jonah with a chuckle.

Frank blushes and smiles to himself, thinking about how absolutely whipped these two guys are for him and about how glad he is that they can both be in the same room together without getting weird about shit. 

They make their way into the living room where Jonah has a seat on the couch next to Frank, sitting low with his legs spread; his body-language making the kid feel all warm suddenly. Frank puts both the rose and the tin with the joints on top of the coffee table in front of the couch.

“Would you like a drink?” asks Gerard, still standing and holding the dish towel as he looks down at Jonah.

“Yeah, that’d be great, thanks,” says Jonah. “You got any JD?”

“Yeah, I do,” says Gerard. “What about you, Frankie? Do you want me to make you something?”

Frank’s eyes light up. “Yes, please,” he says, smiling. Gerard doesn’t let Frank drink alcohol all the time, but when he does, he always makes the boy some sort of sweet and fruity cocktail that Frank finds delicious. “What are you making?”

“You’ll see,” says Gerard as he makes his way into the kitchen. “Rocks, Jonah?” he calls out from in there. 

“No, thanks,” Jonah calls out to Gerard. He looks over at Frank now. “How’d you get him to say yes?” he asks quietly with a curious expression on his face. 

Frank smiles. “He just said he’s a sucker for seeing me happy.”

Jonah smiles warmly and then Gerard comes back out into the living room a moment later, holding a short glass that’s filled with a couple ounces of clear, honey-brown liquid which he hands to Jonah, as well as a two-ounce shot glass that’s filled with a dark blue liquid which he hands to Frank.

“Thanks, man,” says Jonah as he takes the glass.

Frank looks into the deep blue liquid in the shot glass that Gerard has just handed to him. “What is this?” he asks, cautiously sniffing the liquid. He’s pleased to find that it smells like berries.

“It’s called a porn star,” says Gerard. He goes back into the kitchen momentarily and returns holding a large glass of red wine in one hand. He sits down on the couch on the other side of Frank so that the kid is sitting in between him and Jonah.

“Those shots are so fuckin’ sweet,” Jonah comments. “You’ll love it,” he says to Frank.

“You gonna drink it or just stare at it?” asks Gerard with a smirk. He holds up his wine glass as if making a toast. “To Frankie,” he says.

“To Frankie,” Jonah echoes, raising his glass of whiskey.

Frank smiles and then raises his shot glass before downing the intensely sweet, sour and fruity alcohol inside as the other two sip their drinks alongside him. “Holy shit—that was amazing. I could drink like twenty of those,” he says, looking at Gerard after taking the shot. “Can you please make me another?” he asks with his best puppy eyes.

Gerard chuckles and looks over at Jonah. “How can I say “no” when he looks at me like that?” he says as he sets his wine glass down on the coffee table.

Jonah laughs. “You can’t,” he says, taking a sip of his drink as he looks at Frank fondly.

Frank blushes as Gerard gets up from the couch and makes his way into the kitchen to mix him another shot.

Jonah looks over at Frank. “When are you gonna show him your new ink?” he asks quietly. 

“I’m getting to it...” says Frank, smirking a bit, feeling a slight buzz coming on from the alcohol he’d just consumed. He hears Gerard shaking the cocktail mixer in the kitchen. 

“You nervous?” asks Jonah somewhat teasingly, smirking as he lightly nudges Frank in the side with his elbow.

“A little,” Frank admits, looking over at Jonah. 

“Why? It’s so fuckin’ sexy; he’s gonna love it,” Jonah says reassuringly, draping his arm over Frank’s shoulder.

Frank smiles, leans into Jonah‘s side and looks up at him. He knows Gerard is in the other room but he can’t help the feeling he has of wanting to kiss Jonah right now. He impulsively leans in and presses his lips against Jonah’s, kissing him softly as the guy still has his arm around him. Frank can tell that Jonah wants to do more by the way the guy is squeezing his upper thigh as they make out, but at the same time he’s trying to pull back as Frank chases his lips with his own, as though he’s trying to stop himself from going too far while Gerard is in the next room. 

“You don’t care that he could walk in and see us?” Jonah asks softly when Frank stops kissing him long enough for him to get a few words in. 

Frank shakes his head, looking at Jonah lustfully, feeling increasingly frisky now that his blood alcohol content is rising. He kisses Jonah again, more intensely this time, and feels a rush of blood fill his cock as he becomes increasingly aroused. Just as he puts his hand on Jonah’s cock, feeling that he’s semi-hard, he hears Gerard walk back into the room and immediately pulls away from Jonah and looks up at his boyfriend. 

Gerard doesn’t look upset after seeing Frank kissing and groping Jonah, but he definitely looks surprised and somewhat intrigued with an eyebrow raised as he stares at Frank. He’s carrying two shot glasses filled with the same blue liquid as before and he gives one to Frank before setting the other one down on the coffee table. “Is this the real reason you wanted Jonah to come in? So you two could make out whenever I leave the room?” he asks teasingly as he sits down next to Frank. 

Frank feels his cheeks get hot from embarrassment and Jonah looks a bit sheepish, too, running a hand through his pink hair before downing the remainder of his whiskey. 

“Well, yeah, but that’s not the _only_ reason...” Frank says cheekily, playing along, just before drinking the porn star shot that he’s holding in his hand. He puts the empty shot glass down on the coffee table and then picks up the next one. “I also wanted him to be here when I showed you what else he got me for my birthday...” he continues before taking the next shot, enjoying the intensely sweet and sour flavour of it. 

Gerard raises an eyebrow curiously and picks up his wine glass from atop the coffee table. “Okay, so show me,” he prompts. 

Frank sets the second empty shot glass down on the table and then holds out his left arm and shows Gerard the tattoo on his inner bicep, watching the man’s eyes widen as he does. 

“Oh my God!” Gerard exclaims, leaning in to examine Frank’s body art more closely. After a while he looks up at the boy with a stunned expression on his face. “You got a tattoo? This is permanent?” 

Frank is a little worried by Gerard’s reaction, unsure of whether or not his boyfriend likes his new ink. “Yeah, it’s a real, permanent tattoo,” he confirms. “Do you like it?” he asks nervously. 

Gerard is silent for a moment as he looks down at Frank’s tattoo again, lightly running his fingers along the reddened skin at the edges of the clear bandage on the boy’s skin as a smile spreads across his lips. He looks up at Frank again. “I fucking love it, baby,” he says.

Frank immediately smiles back and then melts when Gerard presses his lips firmly against his own, kissing him passionately as Jonah looks on. As they make out, Frank is starting to wonder if Jonah is enjoying watching them, thinking back to the time when the guy had mentioned that he’d love to watch him and Gerard fuck. He’s feeling a little drunk now from the three shots of alcohol he’d consumed and he’s getting increasingly horny as he thinks about how hot it is that Jonah’s just sitting there watching them...

Gerard pulls away suddenly as though he’s just remembered that they’re not alone and he looks at Frank intensely. The boy is very familiar with the look Gerard is giving him right now—he knows it means Gerard wants to fuck him. Just acknowledging that fact turns Frank on even more; he suddenly feels another rush of blood fill his cock, making his erection begin to strain uncomfortably against the fabric of his jeans. 

Gerard suddenly clears his throat, gulps down the rest of his large glass of wine and then glances at Jonah’s empty glass which the guy is resting on his lap. “You want another, Jonah?” he asks, subtly eyeing the obvious bulge at the front of the guy’s black jeans before he looks up again. 

Jonah smirks a little, clearly noticing that Gerard has seen his hard-on. “Yeah, please,” he says, handing his empty glass to Gerard. 

Gerard then gets up from the couch, looking a little flustered, and goes into the kitchen. 

“Can you put some music on?” Frank asks Jonah. 

“Yeah,” says Jonah, taking his phone out of his pocket. “What you wanna hear?” 

Frank shrugs. “I dunno,” he says, just feeling like vibing. “Just put on the cool-sounding shit you always play in your car.”

Jonah laughs a bit. “Aight,” he says, scrolling through some songs on his phone before pressing play on some chill-sounding music. 

Gerard walks back into the room momentarily, carrying another glass of whiskey for Jonah and another glass of red wine for himself. 

“Thanks, man,” says Jonah as he takes the glass from Gerard. 

Gerard sits down on the couch again and takes a couple large sips of his wine before setting the glass down on the coffee table and looking at Frank. “Let me see your tattoo again,” he says eagerly. 

Frank shows his body art to Gerard once again and smiles when he realizes how much his boyfriend really loves his new ink. “You like it, daddy?” he asks coyly, just wanting to hear the man tell him again how much he loves it. 

Gerard bites his lip, clearly turned on by Frank calling him “daddy” just now. “I love it, baby boy; it’s sexy as hell,” he says, looking at Frank with lust-filled eyes. 

Frank smirks, pleased by Gerard’s answer. “Does looking at it make you wanna fuck me?” he asks seductively. 

“Frankie...” says Gerard with a little chuckle, looking flustered as he runs a hand through his dark hair. 

Gerard doesn’t even need to say anything for Frank to know exactly what his answer to his question is—the man’s body language says it all. The boy feels his stomach flip-flop pleasantly from seeing Gerard’s obvious arousal after hearing his sexually forward question, and he notices Jonah looking on, attentively listening to the couple’s explicit conversation. “So, fuck me then,” Frank says smugly, feeling drunk now and super horny as he smirks cheekily at his boyfriend. 

Gerard laughs. “Yeah? Just fuck you right here on the couch? Right in front of Jonah?” he asks teasingly. 

Frank shrugs. “Yeah, why not?” he asks seriously, wanting to see what Gerard’s reaction to his response will be. 

Gerard’s eyebrows go way up and he looks over at Jonah. “What do you think of that?” he asks. 

“I’d totally get off on that shit,” says Jonah with a casual shrug. “Y’all are hot as fuck; why wouldn’t I wanna watch?” he adds with a smirk before downing the rest of his whiskey in one large gulp. 

Gerard laughs again and shakes his head, going a bit red in the face. “Holy shit... Are you guys serious?” he asks, looking back and forth between Frank and Jonah. 

“Yeah,” says Frank, placing his hand high up on Gerard’s thigh, close to his cock. “We’ve even talked about it before...” he admits.

“What? Really?” asks Gerard, running a hand through his dark hair again and looking a little stunned. He reaches for his wine glass and picks it up off the table before taking a few big gulps of the deep red liquid inside. 

Jonah chuckles. “It’s cool if you ain’t comfortable with it, man; not tryna pressure you or nothin’,” he says, looking at Gerard, obviously noticing how shook the man is right now. “And, if y’all want me to bounce so you can do your thing, just lemme know.”

Frank feels a little disappointed that Jonah’s talking about leaving already, but he understands that the guy is just trying to be thoughtful, as usual. 

“No, no, you’re good,” says Gerard reassuringly, making Frank feel relieved that he doesn’t want Jonah to leave yet either. “And, it’s not that I’m opposed to the idea; it just caught me way off guard...”

“So, you’re down?” Frank pipes up eagerly, beginning to rub his hand over Gerard’s hard cock overtop of his pants as he looks expectantly at the man. 

“Sure, baby; I’m down if it’s something you wanna try. It _is_ your birthday...” Gerard says, moving Frank’s hand away from his firm crotch. Frank looks at Gerard with a puzzled expression, wondering why he moved his hand away. “I know you’re horny and excited, but I just need a minute...” Gerard explains. 

“Okay,” says Frank with a little huff, definitely feeling horny and excited like Gerard had picked up on, but also feeling impatient and needy for attention and affection. 

“Let me finish my drink first,” Gerard says before sipping his wine again. He’s already looking very tipsy with flushed cheeks and intoxicated-looking eyes, but Frank’s guessing that his boyfriend needs to be more drunk than he is for what they’re about to do in front of Jonah. 

Frank is feeling frustrated and aroused and he really can’t wait for Gerard to fuck him, so he turns to Jonah and kisses him, hoping Gerard will react to seeing them making out again. Frank can tell by the way Jonah’s not touching him as they kiss that they guy is feeling a little unsure about making out with him while Gerard is sitting right here, as if he’s worried about pissing him off or something. It sort of amuses Frank a little because Jonah has no idea that Gerard actually enjoys watching the two of them together. 

It’s not long before Frank hears a _clink_ as Gerard sets his wine glass down on the coffee table and then suddenly feels his boyfriend firmly grip both sides of his waist as he pulls the boy away from Jonah and onto his lap. 

“Kissing him right in front of me so that I’ll just fuck you already? Huh, baby?” asks Gerard, speaking right into Frank’s ear from behind while rubbing the boy’s hard cock over the fabric of his jeans, making him squirm around in his lap. 

“Yes, daddy,” Frank admits, half-moaning as Gerard gets him rock-hard almost instantly. “Want your dick in me so fucking bad...” he says breathily, leaning his head back against Gerard’s shoulder. 

“Holy shit, Frankie...” Jonah says, sounding extremely turned on as he watches the action unfolding before his eyes. 

“Naughty boy,” says Gerard, still speaking right into Frank’s ear. He unbuttons Frank’s jeans and pulls them open, relieving some of the uncomfortable pressure that was caused by the boy’s cock straining against the constricting denim. “Stand up and take your pants off,” he orders. 

Frank gets off of Gerard’s lap and stands up, facing the two men. He then pulls his pants down as Gerard had instructed him, revealing the sexy, black jockstrap he’s wearing underneath. 

“Oh my God...” says Jonah in a low voice, seemingly unable to take his eyes off of the boy as he turns around sexily in front of him and Gerard, swaying his hips from side to side to the beat of the music that’s still playing from Jonah’s phone. The boy is proudly showing off his ass and his butt plug that has the pink, heart-shaped jewel at the hilt. “You’re so fuckin’ lucky, dude,” Jonah says, still not taking his eyes off of Frank for a second even though he’s talking to Gerard now. 

“God, I know,” says Gerard, intently staring at Frank’s perfect, plugged ass with lust-filled eyes, the same way Jonah is. “You’re so damn sexy, baby boy,” he says, addressing Frank now. 

Frank turns around to face Gerard and Jonah again, absolutely loving the attention he’s getting from both of these men as they’re practically drooling over him. He knows that each of them would be all over him at this point if they were alone with him, and thinking about that fact makes him feel kinda powerful.

Gerard undoes his pants and lifts his ass so he can pull them down, along with his boxers, to his ankles, and then he kicks off both garments. Frank smirks when he sees the way Jonah’s eyes widen when he gets a good look at Gerard’s huge cock. 

“Holy fuck, dude,” says Jonah in a low voice as he stares at Gerard’s cock. He looks up at Frank now. “How the hell do you take that, Frankie? He’s fuckin’ huge.”

“I’ve had lots of practice,” says Frank cheekily. 

Gerard chuckles as he pulls his shirt off and now both Frank and Jonah are staring at the man’s sexy upper body, on which every large muscle is looking super-defined and bulging out, practically mesmerizing the younger two. 

“Goddamn, you two are fuckin’ perfect,” says Jonah, beginning to rub his hard cock over top of his pants, obviously too aroused by what he’s seeing in front of him to contain himself.

“Can you grab the lube, Frankie?” asks Gerard. 

“Yeah,” says Frank eagerly, getting up from the couch and feeling the eyes of the other two watching his ass as he heads out of the room. 

In the bedroom, Frank finds the lube on top of the bedside table and then goes into the bathroom to take out his butt plug and put it in the sink. He checks himself out in the bathroom mirror for a second before heading back out into the living room. When he gets there, a surprised smile forms on his face when he sees that Jonah is watching intently as Gerard slowly jerks himself off, clearly horny as hell as he stares down the older man. If Frank is being honest, he thinks it’s really hot that the two of them are ‘bonding’ like this. 

Gerard looks up when he sees Frank walk into the room and he goes a bit red in the face. “Is it okay that he was watching me?” he asks. “I know I should have asked you first, baby.”

“Hell yeah, it’s okay. It’s actually so fucking hot...” says Frank casually with a smirk on his face, so turned on by the fact that Jonah was watching Gerard touch himself. “You guys can do whatever you want together—I don’t care. I really wanna see you guys make out, to be honest,” he admits with a smirk, feeling his dick twitch in his jockstrap just from thinking about it. 

Gerard chuckles and blushes again, looking very surprised by Frank’s response. “Frankie, you’re so fucking naughty,” he says, continuing to stroke his large, hard cock, making Frank subconsciously lick his lips as he stares. “I’ve never been with anyone as kinky as you are. I kinda love it.”

Frank laughs, feeling kind of proud of that fact. He hands the bottle of lube to Gerard, inadvertently reminding him that he’s waiting and more than ready to get fucked, and the man flips open the cap and coats his dick with the clear, slippery substance as both Frank and Jonah look on. 

“Take those off, baby,” says Gerard gently, gesturing to Frank’s shirt and jockstrap as he sets the bottle of lube down next to him on the couch. 

Frank takes his shirt off and then pulls down his jockstrap, revealing his hard cock, and steps out of the undergarment. He smiles when he notices both Gerard and Jonah staring at his exposed length with their mouths slightly hanging open. 

“Damn...” says Jonah in a low voice as he stares at Frank, looking the boy up and down as he continues to rub his cock over top of his jeans. “You’re so fuckin’ sexy, Frankie...”

Frank blushes. “Why don’t you take your shirt off? I wanna see all your tats,” he says to Jonah. “And, while you’re at it, take your dick out, too,” he adds with a smirk. 

Jonah smirks back at the boy and then looks over at Gerard. “That cool with you?” he asks the older man. 

“Yeah, go ahead,” says Gerard casually. 

Jonah pulls his white T-shirt up and over his head before draping it over the arm of the couch, revealing his inked and toned upper body. He undoes his pants next and lifts his ass so that he can pull them halfway down his thighs, along with his boxers, letting his hard cock pretty much spring free from the confines of the fabric. Frank feels warmer all of a sudden, especially when Jonah wraps his hand around his length and starts slowly jerking himself off as he watches the other two. 

Gerard openly checks Jonah out for a moment and then pats his own thighs, signalling for Frank to sit on his lap, on his cock. “Want me to fuck you now, sweet boy?” he asks teasingly. 

“Yes, please, daddy,” says Frank eagerly. He smiles and gets onto Gerard’s lap, facing away from him as he squats above the man’s cock with one arm draped over his broad, muscular shoulders and one arm draped over the back of the couch for stability. Gerard has one hand wrapped around his cock and one hand on Frank’s hip, guiding him as he slowly lowers himself down onto his cock. Gerard lets out a low, pleasure-filled groan when the head of his cock finally presses into Frank’s tight, warm hole. 

“Oh fuck, baby...” Gerard groans, his fingernails slightly digging into the skin on Frank’s hip, probably trying to stop himself from just thrusting his own hips up and sinking his cock all the way into the boy in one swift movement. “You’re always so fucking tight for me, boy.”

Frank is moaning and whimpering as Gerard’s thick cock fills him up more and more, loving the intensity of the stretch, loving the fact that Jonah’s eyes are glued to him while he jerks himself off, watching the gorgeous nineteen-year-old getting fucked by his sexy, middle-aged boyfriend. 

“Damn, Frankie; look at you takin’ that big dick like it’s nothin’... I’m impressed,” Jonah muses as he intently watches the action that’s happening right in front of him. “You’re both so fuckin’ hot, holy shit...”

Gerard looks over at Jonah. “Get on your knees between my legs,” he orders. “Suck Frankie’s dick while I’m fucking him.”

Jonah looks stunned for a moment and Frank feels ecstatic that Gerard is actually letting the guy join in on the action instead of just watching. 

“Yes, sir,” says Jonah with a smirk, his eyes slightly narrowed and looking sexy. 

“Fuck, that’s hot...” Gerard says breathily, looking down at Jonah from over Frank’s shoulder as the guy gets on his knees between his spread open legs. “Keep calling me that.”

“Yeah? You like bein’ in charge? Tellin’ me what to do to your boy?” Jonah asks teasingly.

Gerard groans pleasantly, clearly turned on. “You don’t get to ask questions, kid,” he says as he reaches down and firmly grabs a handful of Jonah’s pink hair, pulling on it as he guides the guy’s head towards Frank’s cock. 

“Yes, sir,” Jonah says again with a slight smirk on his face, clearly enjoying the way Gerard is interacting with him. 

Frank is staring down at Jonah lustfully, in complete awe of how fucking hot he looks right now with Gerard’s hand tangled in his hair. Jonah’s staring right back at the boy, probably thinking about how hot Frank looks right now as he’s riding Gerard’s huge cock. 

“Your daddy’s fuckin’ bossy, hey Frankie?” says Jonah, smirking. Gerard scoldingly pulls Jonah’s hair again and the look that forms on the guy’s face tells Frank that he’s absolutely enjoying being bossed around by the older man. 

“Yeah, and you fucking love it,” says Frank, smirking back.

Without warning, Jonah finally takes the head of Frank’s cock into his warm, wet mouth and begins sucking on it hard while the boy moans loudly. Frank feels Gerard’s hands firmly grip the underside of his thighs and then the man begins thrusting his hips up, fucking into Frank deeply as Jonah goes down on the boy at the same time. The combination of pleasurable feelings is making Frank absolutely lose it, moaning uncontrollably while Gerard kisses his neck; feeling like he’s ascending to a higher plane of existence. All Frank can hear right now are the wet noises of Jonah slurping on his cock and the hot rhythm of Gerard’s heavy breathing in his ear and the slapping sound of skin-on-skin as his ass is getting fucked deeply by his boyfriend. Frank looks down and notices that Jonah is now jerking himself off while he’s sucking his dick and it turns the boy on so much. 

“Does this feel good, baby? Getting your ass fucked and your dick sucked at the same time?” asks Gerard teasingly, speaking right into Frank’s ear.

“Fuck yes, daddy,” Frank moans as he nods his head. “Feels so fucking good.”

“Yeah?” says Gerard, still speaking into Frank’s ear. “Do you want Jonah to deepthroat your cock?” he whispers. 

“Yes,” Frank says breathily, nodding eagerly. He looks down at Jonah who’s still going down on him as he kneels on the floor between Gerard’s spread legs. Jonah looks up and meets Frank’s intense gaze just as Gerard puts his hand on the back of his head and pushes down, forcing Frank’s cock deeper into the guy’s mouth, making him gag on it as it hits the back of his throat, and making Frank moan loudly from the intensely pleasurable sensation it gives him. 

“Like that, baby boy?” asks Gerard. “Like how daddy’s making him choke on your dick?”

“Yes, daddy...yes, I fucking love it,” Frank moans. 

“What do you say?” Gerard prompts. 

“Thank you, daddy,” Frank says breathily. 

“That’s my fucking boy...” says Gerard, sloppily kissing the side of Frank’s face as he continues to fuck into him. “You gonna come in Jonah’s mouth like a good boy, baby?” he asks, thrusting his cock up into Frank relentlessly as he continues to push Jonah’s head down so he’s deepthroating the boy’s cock. 

“Fuck yeah,” says Frank, his voice sounding strained. “I’m getting close...”

Gerard takes his hand off of the back of Jonah’s head and the guy pulls off and takes a few gasping breaths as he looks up at the other two. His eyes are watering from his gag reflex being stimulated and there’s saliva dripping down his chin and Frank almost can’t take how fucking sexy the guy looks right now. 

“You good, Jonah?” asks Gerard, chuckling a bit as he affectionately ruffles the guy’s bright pink hair. 

“Yes, sir,” says Jonah with a quick nod, breathing hard and smirking a bit. 

“I’m not being too rough with you?” asks Gerard a bit teasingly.

“No, sir; I fuckin’ love that rough shit,” Jonah admits with a bit of a laugh. 

“Good,” says Gerard, smirking as he wraps one of his fists around Frank’s cock and begins to jerk him off with a quick pace. “Open your mouth,” he orders Jonah. 

“Yes, sir,” says Jonah obediently. He opens his mouth and places his hands on Gerard’s hairy, muscular thighs as he stares up at Frank while the boy is being both jerked off and fucked by the older man. “Gimme that fuckin’ load, Frankie,” he says, smirking. 

“He’s begging for your cum in his mouth like a little bitch. Does that turn you on?” asks Gerard, sounding as though he’s on the verge of coming. 

“Y-yes, daddy,” says Frank, moaning disjointedly and feeling right on the edge of climaxing. He suddenly feels the euphoric rush of his orgasm coming on and he moans throughout the entirety of it as his body jolts rhythmically from the electric pleasure. 

“That’s it, baby...that’s daddy’s good boy,” says Gerard sweetly as he kisses the side of Frank’s face as the boy comes down from his intense orgasm, breathing hard and looking dazed after his warm, sticky cum spurts out from his cock and into Jonah’s waiting mouth. 

“Goddamn, boy...” says Jonah after eagerly swallowing Frank’s load. He’s now staring up at the two lovers in complete awe as he continues to jerk himself off. 

“You want daddy to fill your hole, baby boy?” asks Gerard, intensely speaking right into Frank’s ear again. 

“Yes, please, daddy...fill me up...” Frank begs. “This hole is all fucking yours.”

“Oh my _God_ , baby...” Gerard moans. “Love it when you talk dirty like that,” he says, feverishly kissing Frank’s neck as his body goes rigid and his muscles tense up rhythmically as he comes hard, deep inside of the boy. 

Frank closes his eyes and enjoys the familiar, warm feeling of his boyfriend’s cum filling him up. He’s not sure when Jonah had blown his load, but when he looks down he‘s pleased to see that the guy’s bare torso is splattered with his own sticky, white cum and he’s looking absolutely contented as he runs a hand through his tousled pink hair. 

Gerard is still inside of Frank as he sweetly kisses the side of the boy’s neck from behind while they both catch their breath. “I love you so much, baby,” he whispers, so quietly that Frank’s not even sure if Jonah hears. 

Frank smiles and closes his eyes for a moment as he nuzzles the back of his head against Gerard’s shoulder. “I love you, too,” he says dreamily. 

Jonah gets up from his knees and pulls up his boxers and pants, showing off his tatted upper body and his cum-splattered torso to the other two as he does. He runs a hand through his messy, pink hair again as he smiles. “Y’all are so fuckin’ hot together, shit...” he says as he looks down at the couple, who are still tangled up in each other’s bodies. 

Gerard hums pleasantly as he kisses Frank’s neck again and the boy can tell that Gerard is smiling as he does. Frank looks up at Jonah, smiling, too. “It was super hot how you were calling Gerard “sir,”” he mentions. “Wasn’t it, babe?” he asks, momentarily glancing over his left shoulder to look at Gerard. 

“Yeah,” says Gerard, nodding and looking up at Jonah. “That was hot as fuck,” he agrees. 

Jonah smirks and looks kind of pleased with himself as he runs a hand through his hair again. He looks down at his cum-covered torso, then. “I should prolly go get cleaned up before this dries...” he says. 

“The bathroom’s just down the hall and to the right,” says Gerard. 

“Aight, cool, thanks,” says Jonah before grabbing his white T-shirt off the couch and then making his way down the hall towards the bathroom. 

Frank lifts himself off of Gerard’s dick once Jonah’s out of the room and then turns himself around on his lap so he’s straddling the man’s legs while facing him now. He smiles at his boyfriend and drapes his arms over the man’s shoulders before leaning in and kissing him deeply, sighing pleasantly when he feels Gerard’s strong arms wrap tightly around his waist. 

“You’re on fucking cloud nine, aren’t you?” asks Gerard teasingly as he observes Frank’s dazedly happy expression. 

Frank giggles a bit and blushes. “Yeah, I kinda am,” he confirms. “I was so surprised when you told him to suck my dick; I thought he was just gonna watch us.”

“So did I, to be honest,” Gerard admits. “I definitely wasn’t planning on telling him to do that; it just kinda happened. Was it okay that I did?”

“Hell yeah—it was so fucking hot, babe,” says Frank, grinning just before kissing Gerard deeply again. 

Gerard smiles against Frank’s lips and slides his calloused hands down the boy’s back until they’re cupping his cute ass. “Wanna go get cleaned up in our room?” he asks after a while of making out. 

“Yeah, okay,” says Frank, nodding.

Frank gets off of Gerard’s lap and they gather their clothes and head into the bedroom where they get cleaned up and dressed before heading back out into the living room where Jonah’s now sitting on the couch, fully clothed and tapping out a text message to someone on his phone. 

Jonah looks up from the screen in his hands when he notices the other two walk into the room. “You guys good?” he asks, standing up. 

“Yeah,” says Frank, smiling and looking over at Gerard, who echoes his response. “You?” 

“Fuck yeah,” says Jonah, smiling back contentedly as he pockets his phone. “Hey, I know you wanted me to stay for dinner, Frankie, but I actually gotta bounce now...” 

“Aww...” says Frank sadly, pouting a bit and feeling a little disappointed that Jonah’s leaving so soon, especially after they’d all had such a good time together. “You really have to go?”

“Yeah, I gotta do a pickup,” says Jonah, sounding tired. “I’d totally bail if I could, but it ain’t really an option with the guy I work for—he ain’t into holdin’ his supply longer than he has to.”

“Sounds like your guy doesn’t like waiting for his cut,” says Gerard. 

“Uh, yeah; that’s puttin’ it kinda lightly...” says Jonah, chuckling. “He messaged me five minutes ago and wants me at his place in an hour.”

“Oh, damn,” says Gerard, nodding. “Well, you’re welcome to have dinner with us some other time, if you like.”

“Sure, man, thanks,” says Jonah, smiling. 

“When can we hang out again?” asks Frank eagerly. 

“I’m free all week,” says Jonah. He looks over at Gerard now. “So, whenever’s cool with you.” 

Frank looks at Gerard now, too, and the man shrugs. “I’m good with whenever; you guys can decide,” he says. 

Frank’s eyes light up, realizing that Gerard is becoming more relaxed about his rules regarding how often the boy can see Jonah in their open relationship. “What about Tuesday?” he asks hopefully, turning towards Jonah now. 

Jonah nods. “Tuesday sounds good.”

Frank smiles, already looking forward to seeing Jonah again. 

“Aight, I’ma head out now...” says Jonah, quickly checking his phone before shoving it back into his pocket. He looks at Gerard and extends a hand towards him. “Thanks for havin’ me over, man; it was super chill,” he says, smirking slightly as though he’s remembering the way Gerard had bossed him around earlier. 

Gerard shakes Jonah’s hand, smirking equally as subtly at the guy as he does. “No worries, Jonah; any time,” he says. 

Gerard and Jonah part hands and then Jonah turns towards Frank and pulls him into a warm hug. “Hope you had a good birthday, Frankie,” he says. 

Frank pulls back a bit and smiles up at Jonah. “It was amazing,” he says, just before kissing the guy softly on the lips. 

Jonah smiles against Frank’s lips but then he pulls away rather quickly, as though he feels awkward making out with the boy while Gerard is standing right here. “I’ll see you Tuesday,” he says to Frank just before opening the front door. 

“Okay,” says Frank, smiling dreamily as Jonah steps out into the hallway. 

“Night, Gerard,” says Jonah, quickly glancing over his shoulder as he walks out. 

“G’night, Jonah,” Gerard says with a small wave. 

Frank shuts the door as Jonah walks down the hall towards the elevator and then he turns to face Gerard, who’s smiling to himself. “What are you smiling about?” he asks curiously. 

Gerard shakes his head and chuckles as Frank walks up to him and wraps his arms around his waist, looking up at him expectantly. “I just find it kinda cute how awkward he gets whenever you kiss him in front of me,” he says. 

“He’s just not sure how you feel about it,” says Frank. “He doesn’t know you like watching us together,” he adds with a smirk. 

“He’s really sweet to you, baby; I like seeing that,” says Gerard, sounding kind of emotional all of a sudden. “And, I can tell he really respects me; he’s always asking me if I’m okay with certain things before he goes ahead. It’s nice. He’s a good kid.”

Frank smiles. “I love that you guys get along with each other. It’s really cool,” he says. “He thinks you’re super hot,” he mentions, smirking again. 

Gerard laughs. “Yeah, I noticed that...”

“Do you think _he_ ’s hot?” asks Frank coyly, really curious to hear his boyfriend’s response. 

Gerard goes a bit red in the face. “Uh, honestly...yeah, I think he’s pretty hot,” he admits. 

Frank smirks and feels his dick get a bit hard when he hears Gerard’s response. “I fucking love that,” he says before pulling Gerard down for a passionate kiss which ends up with the man picking him up and carrying him into the bedroom where he lays the boy down on the bed and climbs on top of him as they make out intensely. 

Gerard lifts himself up a bit as they kiss and then undoes the button on Frank’s jeans with one hand before roughly pulling open the zipper and shoving his hand down the front of the boy’s underwear, wrapping it firmly around his cock, which is already hard again. Frank’s pretty sure he’s about to be sucked off twice in the same night by two different guys and he’s absolutely fucking here for it. Gerard scoots down the bed and pulls Frank’s pants and boxers down his legs, letting the boy’s cock spring free and slap back lightly against his lower abdomen. The man doesn’t even tease Frank before taking his entire length into his mouth and sucking him hard, making him moan loudly and grab the bedsheets tightly as he’s being pleasured. 

After a while of cocksucking and getting Frank super close to coming already, Gerard suddenly pulls his mouth off of the boy’s cock and firmly pushes his legs back, spreading him open and then spitting right onto his hole which is still slightly stretched out from before. 

“Daddy...” Frank moans needily, not even sure what he wants but just knowing he feels so fucking good right now. He suddenly feels Gerard’s mouth on his hole, kissing and licking it hungrily, and he arches his back and tangles his fingers in his boyfriend’s hair, feeling like he’s fucking floating. “You’re so fucking amazing...” he says breathily as the man places both of his hands on the boy’s cute asscheeks, spreading him open. 

“Your _ass_ is fucking amazing, baby...” says Gerard dazedly, making Frank smile and then moan loudly when the man suddenly presses two of his large fingers into the boy’s saliva-slick hole, which still has some of his own cum inside. 

“Oh my fucking God, Gerard...” Frank moans intensely, squeezing his eyes shut and curling his toes up in the air as his boyfriend relentlessly stimulates his sensitive prostate. 

Gerard’s phone suddenly starts ringing where it’s resting on the bedside table and the man attentively looks up towards the sound with a curious expression on his face as he pulls his fingers out of Frank. 

“Just let it ring, babe...” Frank whines needily as Gerard now sits up at the edge of the bed. 

“I can’t ignore this, Frankie—that’s my ringtone for when Mikey’s calling me...” Gerard says, sounding strange as he stares at his phone on the table, as if he’s not sure whether he’s dreaming or awake.

Frank quickly sits up next to Gerard and grabs the man’s phone off the table. His heart rate speeds up when he sees that it is in fact Mikey’s name and photo on the incoming call screen. “Oh my God...” he says softly, feeling shook as he shoves the phone into Gerard’s hand. “Answer it, babe,” he urges intensely, wanting Gerard to pick up the call from his son—whom he hasn’t spoken to in over six months—before the phone stops ringing. 

Gerard lets out a shaky breath and looks at Frank nervously before pressing the green button on the touch-screen to accept the call. He then tentatively holds the phone up to his ear. “Mikey?” he says carefully into the receiver...


	17. Chapter 17

“Hey, Dad,” says Mikey on the other end of the line. 

Frank is feeling stunned as he sits on the edge of the bed next to Gerard, listening to the conversation the man is having with his son. Although Gerard hasn’t put Mikey on speaker, Frank can hear everything his former best friend is saying because Gerard has his phone’s volume turned all the way up. 

“Mikey... Oh my God...” says Gerard, bringing a hand up to his face and sounding like he’s getting choked up as he speaks. “I can’t tell you how great it is to hear your voice,” he says, wiping his eyes. 

“I know...it’s been a while,” says Mikey, stating the obvious. “I’m sorry I haven’t returned your calls or replied to any of your messages.”

“It’s okay, it’s okay...” says Gerard, brushing off Mikey’s apology. “I understand that you needed some time. I’m just so happy to hear from you, son. I miss you so much.”

“I miss you, too, Dad,” says Mikey. “I wanna meet up soon so we can talk in person about some stuff.”

“Okay. That would be great,” says Gerard. “Just name a day and I’ll make it work.”

There’s a pronounced pause before Mikey begins to speak again. “Uh...I think Frankie should be there, too,” he says. “Can you ask him when you get a chance?”

Gerard pauses for a moment and he and Frank exchange a look of surprise. 

“Oh, uh...I’m sure he’d be more than happy to hear from you personally, Mikes,” says Gerard. “Why don’t you get in touch with him?”

“‘Cause I know you started seeing him again and it’d just be less awkward for me if you ask him.”

Gerard looks at Frank with an even more surprised expression on his face now. “How did you know?” he asks carefully.

“He posted a pic of you two together on his Instagram a little while back,” says Mikey.

Gerard shoots Frank an incredulous look and Frank feels his face get hot. 

“What happened to never speaking to us again if we continued to see each other?” asks Gerard. “You were pretty adamant about that the last time we spoke.”

Mikey sighs. “I dunno...” he begins. “I guess just seeing how happy you guys looked together in that picture made me feel like maybe I should try to put my own anger and hurt aside and attempt to understand your guys’ side of things. Besides, I really fucking miss you both,” he continues. “It’s crazy how it’s been over half a year since I’ve seen you guys.”

Gerard puts a hand on his face and looks like he’s getting emotional again. Frank comfortingly puts an arm around his boyfriend’s waist and holds him, leaning over and resting the side of his face against the man’s shoulder. 

“You have no idea how happy it makes me to hear that, son,” says Gerard, his voice sounding a bit strained as he’s clearly trying to hold himself together. 

“How come you’re getting all emotional?” asks Mikey. 

“‘Cause I have my son back; I feel like I’m whole again. And, I’m so proud of you for developing such a mature approach to this situation; for being willing to talk things through with us. I love you so much, kiddo.” 

“I love you, too, Dad,” says Mikey. “Anyway, are you free tomorrow?”

Gerard pauses for a moment and looks over at Frank; the boy nods in agreement. “Yeah, tomorrow works for us both,” he says.

“Wait—is Frankie with you right now?” asks Mikey. 

“Uh, yeah, he is...” says Gerard carefully. 

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY, FRANKIE!” Mikey suddenly yells into the phone, causing Gerard to reflexively yank the phone away from his ear.

“Jesus, Mikey!” Gerard exclaims, laughing a bit. “You trying to blow out my eardrum or something?”

“Thanks, Mikey,” Frank says into the phone, laughing as Gerard rubs his ear. He’s surprised that Mikey has even acknowledged his birthday with the way they’d left things between them months ago. 

“Sorry, Dad,” says Mikey with a chuckle. “Just wanted to make sure he heard me.”

“You could have just told me you wanted to talk to him,” says Gerard, holding the phone up to his ear again. “I can tell you millennials never actually speak to each other on the phone...” 

“Okay, boomer,” says Mikey, causing Frank to stifle a laugh when he sees the perplexed look on Gerard’s face. “Do you still get off work at the usual time?” he asks, changing the subject. 

“Yeah, three thirty,” says Gerard. “Maybe we can meet at a restaurant or something at five?”

“Yeah, sure. We can just decide which place tomorrow,” says Mikey. “Anyway, I’ll see you guys then.”

“Okay, see you then, Mikes,” says Gerard. He puts the phone down and looks at Frank. “Holy shit,” he says, grinning. 

“Yeah,” says Frank, smiling as he shakes his head in disbelief. 

“What picture of us did you post on your Instagram?” asks Gerard curiously. 

“The one Jamia took of us when we went clubbing with her, Chelsea and Jonah,” Frank replies. “I never thought Mikey would see it; I was pretty sure he had me blocked on all his social media accounts.”

“Well, apparently not...” says Gerard with a chuckle. He sighs then and looks relieved. “I can’t wait to see him,” he says, still smiling. 

“Aww,” says Frank, enjoying how happy Gerard looks right now. “Me, too.”

*

On Monday evening Frank and Gerard are seated together at a booth in a local restaurant where they await Mikey’s arrival. Frank is feeling nervous and he thinks Gerard can tell because the man is giving him a gentle and reassuring squeeze every now and then as they hold hands underneath the table. As soon as the couple sees Mikey approaching their table, Gerard lets go of Frank’s hand and stands up. Frank decides to give the two of them some space and so he stays sitting at first. 

“Hey, Mikes,” says Gerard, absolutely beaming once Mikey’s at their table. He pulls his son into a tight hug. 

“Hey, Dad,” says Mikey, smiling as he embraces Gerard. “It’s so great to see you.”

“It’s great to see you, too, son,” says Gerard, pulling back and smiling happily as he takes a long look at Mikey. 

Frank gets up and makes his way over to Mikey with his heart pounding. The two young men meet each other’s eyes and Frank has a flashback to the last time they’d spoken; to all of the hurtful words Mikey had said to him out of anger. He sees a similar flash of emotion in Mikey’s eyes and he silently wonders if his former best friend is remembering how he’d lied to his face and caused his mom to have a breakdown. Frank is brought back into the present moment when Mikey speaks.

“Hey, Frankie,” says Mikey a little awkwardly, clearly trying not to let their history affect their current interaction. 

“Hey, Mikey,” says Frank carefully, feeling a bit sheepish.

Gerard clears his throat and suggests that they all sit down, probably noticing the uncomfortable exchange between the two former best friends. So, they take their seats at the booth table—Frank and Gerard sit on one side and Mikey sits on the other side. 

“So, how are things with you?” asks Gerard, interestedly looking across the table at his son. 

Mikey shrugs. “They’re okay, I guess,” he says. “I’m not in school right now so I don’t really have too much going on.”

“How come you’re not in school?” asks Gerard, almost scoldingly. “You should be halfway through your second semester by now.”

“Uh...I didn’t even finish my first semester,” Mikey admits. 

“What?” Gerard exclaims, his eyes widening as this is obviously news to him. “You dropped out?” he asks, disappointment evident in his tone of voice.

“How the hell was I supposed to continue?” asks Mikey, inadvertently answering Gerard’s question. “I couldn’t focus on any of my coursework after suddenly finding out that you’d been sleeping with my best friend...”

Frank feels his face get hot and he feels a pang of guilt in his chest when he hears that Mikey had left college because of what he’d done. 

Gerard sighs. “I’m so sorry, Mikey,” he says. “I can tell that the whole thing was a traumatic experience for you and I totally understand your need to take a break from school for a while. One can only handle so much stress at a time.”

Mikey shrugs again. “Whatever; it’s fine. I’m feeling a lot better now. I can always go back when I feel like it,” he says.

“It’s not fine that your own dad made you feel that way though...” says Gerard, sounding like he feels guilty. “Was your mom okay with you taking a break?”

“Yeah. She’s the one who suggested it. I guess she saw how much I was struggling to keep up with everything.”

Gerard sighs again and Frank looks over at him, noticing an expression of guilt clouding his eyes. “I feel terrible for putting you through all of that, son. Words can’t express how sorry I am,” he says sincerely. 

“It’s okay, Dad. I’m not here to make you guys feel bad or to hear you apologize to me a bunch of times—I already know how sorry you both are for hurting me. I’ve had time to process what happened between you two, and I never thought I’d be able to say this, but...I forgive you both. It wasn’t fair for me to disown you because you fell in love and wanted to be together. I was just upset by being lied to for months and by realizing that I didn’t know either of you like I thought I did. All I want now is for us to try to understand each other so things can be somewhat normal between us again. Like, I wanna know how things even started between you two. Not like _details_ or anything, obviously...just like, in general.”

Gerard looks over at Frank. “Do you wanna start?” he asks.

Frank feels his stomach churn unpleasantly at the prospect of telling Mikey about how he got with his dad, because it’s going to be awkward as hell. He sighs and nods before looking down at the table for a moment and then he looks up again and meets Mikey’s eyes, feeling his face burning hot with embarrassment. “So, I’ve been into your dad since the end of eleventh grade. I guess just watching him secretly is how it started—for me, at least. I remember being over at your house after school and secretly watching him lifting weights in the living room while we were hanging out in the kitchen. Then, last summer when we’d hang out by the pool for hours almost everyday, I’d watch him sunbathe while you were texting Alicia...”

Mikey’s wearing an uncomfortable expression on his face as he looks over at his dad. “Did you know he was into you?” he asks. 

“I noticed him looking at me out by the pool on a few occasions, but I didn’t really think anything of it. I knew for sure that he was into me this one day when he boldly took off his sunglasses as I was walking by so that I could see that he was checking me out. Then, when we were inside getting drinks, he made some comments about my body and asked me some sexual questions and I just went along with it. That’s when he admitted to having a crush on me and when everything really started,” says Gerard. 

Mikey nods, still looking uncomfortable. “So, how did like...the physical stuff start?” he asks, his cheeks looking flushed suddenly. 

Gerard looks over at Frank again, his eyes silently begging the boy to please field this question so he doesn’t have to explain to his own son how he started sleeping with his friend. 

“Uh, I was staying over at your house one night, like a week after that other stuff happened. I went downstairs when you were asleep and found your dad in the hot tub...and I got in with him,” says Frank, leaving out the part where he’d stripped down naked before getting into the tub with the married man. “He didn’t want me to get in, but I did anyway, and I flirted with him until I eventually convinced him to kiss me, which he immediately regretted, telling me he shouldn’t have done it. Looking back, I was kinda pushy and sorta throwing myself at him...”

“What about the time you guys went hiking together? Was that before or after you kissed?” asks Mikey. 

“It was after,” says Gerard. He sighs. “I was really struggling with my feelings for Frankie at that point; just knowing I really liked him but feeling incredibly guilty about it. I’d never felt that way about another guy before. After that hike it was clear that we were both really into each other but I was still just feeling scared and guilty about the whole thing so I told him we needed to stay away from each other.”

“Huh,” says Mikey, nodding. “So, it seems like Frankie was initiating everything and you were going back and forth between wanting to go along with it and feeling guilty and wanting to end it.”

Gerard looks at Frank and the boy nods in agreement with Mikey’s statement.

“Yeah, for the most part,” says Gerard. Mikey looks somewhat relieved to hear that it wasn’t his dad who was coming onto his friend. “It wasn’t until a couple weeks later that I called him up and asked him to come over while you and your mom were out of the house...”

“Oh...” says Mikey, growing considerably more red in the face now. “I’m guessing that’s when you...” He shakes his head as if trying to get rid of an unwanted mental image. 

Gerard nods and scratches his head awkwardly and Frank squirms around in his seat a bit when he recalls the way Gerard had answered the door that day: shirtless with wet hair, wearing grey sweatpants that showed off the large bulge of his hard cock... He’s so fucking glad that Mikey can’t read his mind or see underneath the table right now. 

They all sit there in uncomfortable silence for a moment until Frank speaks. “It was at your grad party that I first wanted to tell him I was in love with him, but he stopped me,” he says, deciding not to mention that they’d hooked up in secret in the master bathroom of the house during the party. 

“I wasn’t ready for things to be that... _real_ ,” says Gerard. 

“I think it was a week after that party that he finally let me say it out loud,” Frank begins. “You and your mom were out of the house again and he asked me to come over...”

Mikey nods awkwardly, knowing what that means. 

“Your mom came home while we were hanging out in the kitchen and she’d heard us talking through the garage door so she knew something was going on between us. She walked me to the door and fucking went off on me, telling me to stay away from him and that I was just his “play-thing,”” says Frank. “She told me to stay away from you, too, which is why I didn’t come over much during the last couple weeks of summer.”

“Holy shit... I didn’t realize she pretty much knew you two were doing shit together,” says Mikey. “I can’t say I’m surprised that she went off on you like that.”

“It was probably later on that night when you heard us talking and your mom mentioned something about me being in the shower with someone,” says Gerard. 

“Right...” says Mikey, nodding. “And then I mentioned it to Frankie a couple weeks later when he came over the day I broke up with Alicia...”

Frank nods. “About that...” he begins. “I’m really sorry I acted like I didn’t know what you were talking about, Mikey. I know it was a really shitty thing to do, but I just couldn’t see how I could tell you the truth...”

“It’s all right, Frankie,” says Mikey with a shrug. “Honestly, I’m glad you didn’t tell me right then ‘cause I don’t think I would have been able to handle it.” 

Gerard looks at Frank. “Wasn’t that the night that Lindsey flat out asked you if you slept with me?”

Mikey cringes a bit and Frank grits his teeth, thinking back to that unpleasant conversation between him and Gerard’s ex-wife. “Yeah,” he says. “She also called me a brat and told me she could ruin my life,” he recalls. 

Once again, Mikey doesn’t seem surprised at all by the things his mom had said to Frank, and Frank can only imagine the kinds of things Lindsey has been saying about him to Mikey in private. 

“That was also the night I told you I loved you,” says Gerard, looking at Frank with a slight smile. 

Frank blushes and smiles back as he dreamily recalls that moment. “Yeah,” he says sweetly. “I think we saw each other once more after that before the night my mom walked in on us...”

Mikey shakes his head and sighs. “Man, I was so pissed at you that night...like, really, really pissed. I wanted to kick the shit outta you, to be honest,” he says with a bit of a laugh.

Frank chuckles. “Fuck...” he says, running a hand through his hair. “Yeah, I could definitely tell that you wanted to do more than just punch me in the face.”

“I really did...” says Mikey. He sighs. “I was just so angry and hurt that you guys were acting one way to my face but were completely different people behind my back—behind my mom’s back, too. And, I was upset because of how hurt and broken she was. There was a lot of shit I had to work through after that. I even started seeing a therapist just to help me wrap my head around everything I was feeling and to help me get a handle on my trust issues.”

“I’m really sorry for the way things went down, Mikey,” says Frank sincerely. “And, I appreciate the fact that you’re willing to hear our side of things after everything that happened.”

“I appreciate the apology. And, I’m sorry for the things I said to you that night, too,” says Mikey. “I was really harsh with you, especially when I said that shit about no one wanting you except for your mom. It was pretty shitty of me to speak to you like that even though I was upset.”

“It’s okay, Mikey,” says Frank, now feeling totally over the harsh things Mikey had said to him out of anger all those months ago. 

The server comes around a moment later to drop off three glasses of ice water for the group and then asks if they need more time with the menu, to which they all reply with some form of “yes, please.”

“So, is there anything new with you, Mikey?” asks Gerard after taking a sip of his water. “There’s over six months of life to catch up on; there’s gotta be _some_ thing new.” 

“Uh, well...I started seeing this girl I met at college a couple months ago, so that’s been cool.”

“Oh, that’s great,” says Gerard, smiling. “What’s her name?”

“Kristin,” Mikey replies, smiling when he says her name. It’s quite obvious that he’s really into her by the way he’s beaming at just the mention of her name. “She’s amazing. I hope you guys get to meet her soon.”

“I hope so, too,” says Gerard. “How’s your mom been? Does she know you’re here?” 

“She’s been okay, I guess...” says Mikey. “And, no, I didn’t mention that I was seeing you guys today—she’d freak out on me if she knew.”

“Yeah, that’s what I figured,” says Gerard. “Does she talk a lot of shit about me?”

“You know she does, Dad—she wouldn’t be her if she didn’t talk shit,” says Mikey with a smirk. Gerard chuckles knowingly. “I think you’d be surprised by how much shit she talks about Frankie, too, though.”

“I’m not surprised at all, considering the stuff she was bold enough to say to my face...” says Frank, recalling being called a “slut” by the woman. 

“You don’t sound bitter at all...” says Gerard sarcastically, lightly nudging Frank’s side with his elbow. 

“Definitely not bitter...” says Frank, sounding equally as sarcastic. 

“She’s been seeing someone,” says Mikey. “His name’s Mark. I think he’s like five years younger than her—he looks like he is, anyway.”

“Yeah?” says Gerard, seeming interested but like he’s downplaying it a bit. “When did that start?”

“Like...a month after you guys separated,” says Mikey. “And, get this: they got fucking engaged last week. He gave her a huge-ass diamond ring.”

Gerard’s expression changes for a moment and Frank can’t quite figure out what it means; he looks angry, sad and surprised all at once. “Holy shit...” he says, looking pensive. “She certainly didn’t waste any time there. Where’d she even meet the guy?”

“I dunno.” Mikey shrugs. “He’s just some rich douchebag,” he says. “I don’t even know what she sees in him.”

“His money, obviously,” says Gerard smugly. “She had definitely gotten used to spending all of mine...” 

“Now she won’t stop talking about wedding stuff and it’s annoying the hell outta me because I have no intention of being involved in that wedding whatso-fucking-ever.”

“So, they have a date picked out and everything?” asks Gerard.

“Yeah. Sometime next summer,” says Mikey. “She seems so... _different_ now—without you—it’s crazy...” he says with a sigh, shaking his head. 

Gerard sighs, too, and Frank can tell that he feels bad because Lindsey is obviously hurting and trying to fill that void with this new guy and the excitement of an upcoming wedding. He hates that Gerard clearly still cares about her well-being and he tries not to let it bother him; he tries to remember that they were married for eighteen years (and were together for even more time than that) and that she’s the mother of his child. He only hopes that Gerard doesn’t regret ending his marriage just to be with him...

Gerard and Mikey continue talking about Lindsey, and Frank just mentally zones out, not caring at all about how the woman who called him a “slut” and a “brat” is doing. He takes out his phone and texts Jonah a quick “hey,” knowing that he’ll get a speedy response. 

**Jonah** : _hey sup?_

 **Frank** : _i’m out with Gerard and my friend Mikey (G’s son) who’s finally talking to us again. they’re going on and on about Gerard’s ex-wife rn tho so i’m just tying to distract myself..._

 **Jonah** : _oh that’s shitty but cool how ur friend is talking to u again_

 **Jonah** : _wya want me to come get u_

 **Frank** : _aw thanks but it’s okay..i don’t wanna be rude and just leave lol_

 **Jonah** : _k thats cool_

 **Jonah** : _do i still get to see u tomorrow_

**Frank** : _yeah for sure, can’t wait_

“Are we boring you?” asks Gerard, causing Frank to suddenly look up from his phone. 

“No, this just seems like a conversation I don’t want to be a part of.”

“Oh, okay. We can talk about something else...” says Gerard. “Who are you texting?”

“Uh, Jonah...” says Frank, putting his phone away now. He’s not sure if Gerard wants Mikey to know about their open relationship so he’s a little timid when he says it. 

“Who’s Jonah?” asks Mikey. 

Frank and Gerard share a brief look of uncertainty before Gerard quickly replies. “Oh, he’s just a friend of Frankie’s,” he says, his voice sounding overly and intentionally casual. 

“Oh, okay...” says Mikey, seeming a little weirded out by the way his dad had replied. “So, where are you living now?” 

“I’m renting an apartment about fifteen minutes away from our old house. One bedroom, nothing special,” Gerard says. “Frankie’s been living there with me for a couple months now...”

Mikey raises an eyebrow in surprise. “Really?” he asks, looking at Frank now. “How has your mom not killed you over that yet?”

Frank laughs a bit and shrugs. “I honestly don’t know,” he says. “She definitely doesn’t like the fact that we’re living together, but I think she’s slowly getting used to it.”

Mikey shakes his head. “It’s so fucking weird to think about you two living together...” he says. “I can’t even picture it.”

“Why don’t you come over sometime? If you want to,” Gerard suggests. “It might help you wrap your head around things.”

Mikey nods. “Yeah, maybe sometime...” he says. “I’ll think about it.”

Mikey doesn’t stay for much longer which is understandable to the other two as they know it’s probably a little overwhelming for him seeing his dad and his friend together as a couple for the first time. Frank is feeling a little down because things are obviously different between him and Mikey now, but he’s honestly not sure what he expected after everything that had happened. 

“That was kinda awkward...” Frank comments soon after Mikey leaves. “I mean, he seemed pretty chill with you, but I dunno how he really feels about being friends with me anymore, to be honest... He didn’t even give me a hug when he saw me; it was the most awkward greeting ever...”

“It’ll take some time for things to feel normal again, baby,” says Gerard, reassuringly putting his arm around Frank’s waist. “I know he still wants to be friends with you otherwise he wouldn’t have asked you to come today.”

Frank nods. “Yeah, I guess you’re right,” he says. “How come you seemed upset when Mikey said Lindsey is engaged to that Mark guy?”

“Did I?” asks Gerard. “I mean, I was definitely surprised and it did feel strange to hear it, but I’m not upset about it or anything. She can do whatever she wants to do. I’m sorry if it bothered you when we were talking about her.”

“It’s okay. I just don’t like her,” says Frank bluntly. 

Gerard chuckles. “You certainly don’t hide it,” he says. “I kinda love that about you—you’re not full of shit.”

“I had this silly thought that maybe you were regretting ending things with her after hearing about how she’s obviously still hurt by you cheating on her...” 

“The only thing I regret about the whole thing is her finding out the way she did. I certainly don’t regret that our marriage ended because it wasn’t working anyway, and it meant I got to be with _you_ , baby bear. You’re my one and only and you make me insanely happy,” says Gerard sincerely. 

Frank blushes and smiles and then Gerard kisses him softly on the lips. When the man pulls back, Frank is blushing even more. “You’re kissing me in front of everyone?” he says. “There’s so many people here...”

“Yeah, so? What’s wrong with that?” asks Gerard. “It’s not like we haven’t kissed in front of people before. And, if I want to make out with my boyfriend in front of everyone, then I’m going to. I’m forty-one-years-old; I’m way past the point of caring about what anyone else thinks of me.”

“We’re not even _out_ though...” 

“So what?” says Gerard with a shrug. “We can do whatever we want, Frankie—we don’t even have to officially come out. We can just be ourselves.”

Frank smiles, realizing how freeing it is to think the way Gerard does, and leans in and kisses him again, this time not caring at all about who’s watching them. 

*

Frank takes a deep breath before he walks into the café where he works. He doesn’t have a shift today though—he’s actually just here to see Jamia. After experiencing how understanding Mikey had been towards Gerard and himself, he decided to extend the gracious attitude towards his friend whom he hasn’t spoken to outside of work since they’d had that conversation in which Frank had called her a “bitch.” Jamia looks surprised when she sees Frank walk into the café from behind the front counter. It’s just about closing time so Frank is sure that she knows he’s not here to get a coffee. 

Frank approaches the front counter as Jamia stares at him, and when he gets close enough he begins to speak. “Hey,” he says a little awkwardly as he shifts on his feet. 

“Hey,” says Jamia curtly. “What are you doing here?” 

“I just wanted to talk to you.”

“Oh?” says Jamia, looking surprised. 

“I’m tired of this not talking bullshit; I miss my friend,” Frank admits. 

Jamia smiles. “I kinda miss you, too, even though you were being a little shit the last time we spoke,” she says. 

“I’m sorry for calling you...what I called you.”

“You’re forgiven,” says Jamia. “I’m sorry I went off about Jonah the way I did that day. I was just shocked that you were seeing him again and about the open relationship thing... I guess I didn’t realize how much you care about him.”

“It’s okay,” says Frank. “He, uh...told me that you two used to date and about how you used that girl to break up with him. Why didn’t you tell me? Don’t you think it was kind of hypocritical of you to go off on me about not telling you about my open relationship when you didn’t even mention any of your past with Jonah to me?”

Jamia sighs. “Yeah, it totally was hypocritical of me and I’m sorry about that, too,” she says. “I didn’t tell you I used to date Jonah because I knew you’d wanna know why we broke up and then you’d find out about the disgusting lie that girl told everyone. Do you seriously believe I would do something like that?”

Frank shrugs. “Asking some girl to sleep with your boyfriend so you’d have an excuse to break up with him definitely doesn’t sound like something you’d do, but Jonah seems pretty sure that you did do it.”

“Well, I didn’t do it, and Jonah doesn’t know shit. That girl made it up so she wouldn’t look like a piece of shit for sleeping with him, and somehow Jonah and everyone else she told believed her,” says Jamia. “I would never do something like that, Frankie. I lost so many friends over that fucking awful lie.”

“Damn, now I feel so bad for believing it. It’s so shitty how it seems like all his friends think you did that shit.”

“You’re telling me...” says Jamia, shaking her head. 

“I’m sorry, Jams,” says Frank sincerely. 

“It’s okay, Frankie. I’m just glad we’re finally talking again,” says Jamia. She walks around to the other side of the counter and wraps Frank up in one of her super constricting but loving hugs. “What’s new and exciting with you, hun?” she asks, going over to sit down at one of the small round tables. 

Frank sits down across from his friend and tells her that Mikey’s finally talking to him and Gerard again. “Yeah, he called Gerard up on my birthday and told him he wanted to talk to us both in person, which we did about a month ago.”

“Holy shit...” says Jamia. “It seems like forever ago that we were at that bar for Chelsea’s fundraiser and you were freaking out because he texted you that he wanted to talk after finding out that you slept with his dad.”

Frank laughs and shakes his head, recalling the gut-wrenching anxiety he’d felt at that moment. “God, there was so much fucking drama that night. I honestly can’t believe he’s actually talking to me again.”

“Was it awkward seeing him again after so long?” 

“Hell yeah, it was super awkward. It was the first time he’d seen his dad and I together and I could tell that it was really weird for him,” says Frank. “It’s getting less awkward now though; he’s been over to the apartment a few times to hang out with us both and it seems like he’s getting used to seeing us together.”

“Yeah, I figured it’d definitely be awkward for you all at first, but I’m glad to hear that it’s getting better at least.”

“How are you and Chelsea doing?”

“We’re great—she’s still the best and most perfect human who was ever created,” says Jamia with a smile as she dramatically flutters her eyelashes, making Frank sort of giggle. “How are things with you and Jonah?”

“They’re good. I usually see him a few times a week. I try to hang out with him while Gerard’s at work so we still get our time together when he’s home in the evenings,” says Frank. “Y’know, if I’d known that you and Jonah used to date, I would have asked you first before I started seeing him.”

“It’s totally cool, Frankie,” says Jamia with a shrug. “After he and I broke up, I finally admitted to myself that I don’t even like men in that way, so, we’re good.”

Frank smiles, feeling relieved. “Okay,” he says. “We should really hang out again soon—outside of this place. It’s been way too long.”

“Well, quit being such a loser and only hanging out with your boyfriends then, okay?” Jamia says with a smirk. 

Frank chuckles and nods. “Okay,” he says, smiling at his friend.

*

“Well, that’s ninety minutes of my life that I’ll never get back,” says Frank as the credits begin to roll on the B-list horror movie he’s been watching with Gerard and Mikey. The three of them are sitting on the couch in the living room of Gerard’s apartment: Mikey’s curled up in the corner on one end while Frank is leaning against Gerard’s warm body with the man’s arm around his shoulder on the other end. 

“That ending was absolute trash,” says Mikey. 

“The whole movie was trash,” Frank counters. 

“Okay, yeah, you’re right,” says Mikey with a bit of a laugh. 

Frank looks up at Gerard and sees that the man is fast asleep beside him with his mouth slightly agape. A light snore is being emitted from his mouth every few seconds. 

“He’s been asleep for like a half hour,” says Mikey. 

Frank looks at the clock on the TV stand and sees that it reads eleven. He then gently nudges Gerard in the side with his elbow, causing the man to quickly stir awake and look down at him, seeming a little disoriented. 

“Was the movie that terrible?” asks Frank as Gerard stretches his arms up above his head, waking up. 

“Uh, yeah, actually,” says Gerard with a chuckle, putting his arms down now. “It was shit.”

Frank laughs and nods in agreement. 

“You definitely didn’t miss anything with the ending ‘cause it only got worse,” says Mikey. 

“No surprise there,” says Gerard. “Thank God it’s my turn to pick the movie next time,” he says, eyeing Frank with a smirk. 

“Why do I have a feeling we’re gonna be watching some cowboy movie from like the sixties?” says Frank. 

“Oh, ‘cause we definitely are...” says Mikey knowingly. 

Gerard chuckles as he stands up. “Some of the best movies ever are from another time; you youngsters should see all the classics,” he says, prompting Mikey and Frank to share a look of disinterest. He looks down at his boyfriend now. “You coming to bed?” 

“Not yet; I wanna stay up with Mikey for a bit,” says Frank. 

“Okay,” says Gerard, leaning over and sweetly kissing the top of Frank’s head. “G’night, baby.” 

“Good night.”

“Night, Dad,” says Mikey. 

“G’night, Mikes,” says Gerard before retreating to the bedroom. 

Frank exits out of the streaming service on the TV and switches it back to regular television where there’s some random Discovery Channel show on. There’s a bit of an awkward silence between the two boys now as this is the first time they’ve really hung out alone since they started talking again. 

“It’s still super weird seeing you guys kiss and hearing him call you “baby” and shit...” says Mikey. 

Frank blushes. “It’s probably always gonna be a little weird for you, don’t you think?”

“Yeah, probably,” Mikey agrees. “Hey, can I ask you something?”

“Yeah, go ahead.”

“How come you never told me you’re gay?” asks Mikey. “Like, we were best friends since middle school; I thought you knew you could tell me anything.”

Frank pauses for a moment to think, a little caught off guard by Mikey’s question. “Uh...I guess I was just scared,” he admits. “I don’t think you ever interacted with my dad very much, but he was super homophobic.”

“I only remember that he was barely ever home.”

“Yeah, he was always “working.” Anyway, my biggest fear growing up was him finding out I was gay, so I just always pretended to be straight. I felt like if I told anyone who I really was, then there would always be that chance that my dad could find out. Looking back, I think deep down he already knew that I was gay and I think he hated me for it; I think it made him feel like he failed as a father or some bullshit. He never really showed any interest in me or went out of his way to spend any time with me. I’m convinced that he left us because he didn’t want me, despite my mom telling me that’s not the case. So, anyway, it’s not that I didn’t trust you or that I thought you would hate me if you knew; I was just scared of anyone knowing the real me because of what I experienced with my dad.”

Mikey looks a little stunned when Frank stops speaking. “Wow, Frankie...you really had all of that stuff going on in your head since, like...the entire time we’ve known each other.”

“Yep,” says Frank, nodding. “It’s pretty exhausting being in the closet. Gerard—er, your dad—says we should just be open about who we are. It’s definitely a more comfortable way to live.”

“Well, yeah, I can imagine it fucking sucks having to hide who you are all the time.”

“That’s kind of an understatement, but, yeah.”

“What makes you think your dad actually knew you were gay?”

“Well, when I was sixteen he caught me looking at the men’s underwear section in this department store catalogue—y’know, the section where they have those jacked up models with huge bulges at the front of whatever underwear they’re modelling. Anyway, he freaked out on me for it, made me throw the catalogue away and told me he never wanted to see me doing something “disgusting” like that ever again. He just basically made me feel so ashamed of being into guys. That was before I started watching porn like a normal teenager,” says Frank, sort of laughing as he says the last sentence. 

Mikey laughs. “Damn, that must have been awkward as hell,” he says. “I don’t think either of my parents have ever actually caught me doing that shit. There’ve been close calls, of course, but nothing major.”

The notification tone on Frank’s phone suddenly goes off a few times signalling new text messages; he fishes it out of the pocket of his hoodie and sees that the texts are all from Jonah.

 **Jonah** : _boy_

 **Jonah** : _wyd_

 **Jonah** : _come chill w me i miss u_

Frank smiles down at the screen, always happy to hear from Jonah, and begins tapping out a reply to him while Mikey takes out his own phone and starts messing around on it. 

**Frank** : _hey, i miss u too. i’m with Mikey rn so i can’t hang out... where are u?_

Frank doesn’t have to wait more than a few seconds before Jonah’s spamming his phone with more short text messages. 

**Jonah** : _mikey can come chill wit us too idc_

 **Jonah** : _im at bens_

 **Jonah** : _its lit_

 **Jonah** : _im also high af_

“Whoa, who’s blowing up your phone like that?” asks Mikey, looking up from his own screen for a moment. 

“Just a friend,” says Frank vaguely before tapping out a reply to Jonah. 

**Frank** : _sounds fun. i’d have to ask Gerard first though and he’s asleep..._

 **Frank** : _be careful, okay?_

“Is it that Jonah guy?” asks Mikey. Frank nods, a little surprised that Mikey remembers his name. “You guys seem to be pretty good friends; you’re always texting each other. How’d you meet him?”

“I met him through my friend, Jamia. He sells weed to her.”

“Oh, sweet. Is he your new plug then?”

“Uh, no, not really...” says Frank. He looks down at his phone when it goes off again. “I mean, I get my weed from him now, too, but it’s not like that’s why I’m friends with him.”

 **Jonah** : _G would be cool w it_

 **Jonah** : _n u know i’m always careful_

“I was going through your Instagram the other day and I noticed you have a few pics with him. He’s the guy with the pink hair and the nose ring and tattoos, right?” 

“Uh, yeah, that’s him...” says Frank, unsure of where Mikey’s going with this and of what pictures he’s seen. He looks down again and taps out a reply to Jonah’s latest text messages. 

**Frank** : _i really wanna see u but i don’t wanna hang out without asking him first. can i call u tomorrow and let u know when i’m free to chill?_

“I went to his profile and there was this recent selfie of you two where it looks like you’re in bed together and you both look high as fuck and he’s kissing you on the cheek and the caption says, “he’s cute,” and you commented, “no you,” with a monkey covering its eyes emoji. So...what’s that about? Also, is he like in a gang or something?”

Frank feels his face get hot as he tries to think of how to reply. “Uh...we’re just really good friends,” he says. “And, no...he’s not in a gang. What makes you think that?”

Mikey shrugs. “I dunno, he just kinda gives off a gangster vibe I guess,” he says. “So, does my dad know how close you are with him?”

Frank feels his face get even hotter. “Uh, yeah, he does,” he replies awkwardly before checking his phone for Jonah’s reply. 

**Jonah** : _yea sounds good ttyl <3 _

“And...he doesn’t care that you’ve been taking selfies with him in bed where he’s kissing you on the cheek and calling you “cute”?” asks Mikey with one eyebrow raised. 

Frank kinda wants to smile at the fact that Mikey thinks taking a cute selfie in bed with Jonah is the extent of what they’ve done together, but he holds it back, instead impulsively blurting out: “We’re in an open relationship.”

Mikey just stares blankly at Frank for a moment as he processes what he’s just heard, and then he finally speaks. “An open relationship?” he questions, looking unsure. “So...does that mean you’re dating my dad _and_ this Jonah guy?”

“Yeah,” says Frank simply. 

“Huh,” says Mikey pointedly, nodding and looking down like he’s deep in thought. “Is my dad seeing someone else, too?” 

“No, he’s not.”

“But...he’s totally cool with you seeing this other guy?” 

“Yeah.”

Mikey looks puzzled and then he shakes his head. “I don’t fucking get it, and I’m not going to pretend to, but if it works for you guys, then...that’s great, I guess,” he says with a shrug. 

Frank smiles. “It does work for us. And, your dad—not to sound cheesy or anything—he’s like...my forever. He knows he is, too. I love him so much. I guess that’s the reason he’s okay with me seeing Jonah. He’s amazing,” he says, finding that when he’s finished speaking he’s absolutely beaming.

To Frank’s surprise, Mikey smiles, too, after hearing his friend speak about his feelings for his dad. 

“You know, I wasn’t gonna say anything at first ‘cause I didn’t wanna admit to myself that it’s true,” Mikey begins, “but, lately my dad seems to be the happiest I’ve ever seen him. And, so do you.”

Frank feels a huge grin spread across his face and even feels his eyes get warm with tears of emotion because it makes him feel so happy and secure to know that the man he loves is thriving more than ever right now. Frank definitely feels happier than ever being with Gerard, too. 

At around midnight, Frank helps Mikey make up the sofa bed where he’ll be sleeping tonight and then the two friends say good night to each other. Frank makes his way down the hall and into the bedroom where he undresses until he’s naked and then gets underneath the blankets next to Gerard, who immediately stirs and then pulls Frank’s smaller body close against his own, which is radiating comforting heat. Frank lays his head down on the man’s firm, hairy chest and drapes his arm across his muscular torso, contentedly snuggling into his warmth. 

“What’d you guys end up doing?” asks Gerard sleepily, gently caressing Frank’s shoulder. 

“We just talked,” Frank replies, silently recalling the things they’d discussed and feeling like there’s something he needs to tell Gerard. 

“What’d you talk about?” 

“Um...he was asking me about Jonah,” Frank begins. “I told him about our open relationship.”

“What?” Gerard exclaims, sounding like he’s fully awake now. “Baby, I thought we agreed that we were gonna wait...”

“I know, and I’m sorry. I wasn’t planning on telling him. He was asking me how you’re so cool with us being so close and it just came out.”

Gerard sighs. “Well, how’d he react after you told him?”

“He was pretty chill about it; his exact words were: “If it works for you guys, then that’s great.””

“He really said that?” asks Gerard, sounding pleasantly surprised. 

“Yeah. I mean, he said he doesn’t get it, but he was still chill about it,” says Frank. “He also said we both look the happiest he’s ever seen us,” he adds with a smile. 

Gerard smiles back. “Well, that’s all your fault...” he says before leaning in and kissing Frank softly on the lips, making the boy melt inside. 

The two of them make out for a while and their kisses become more and more heated by the second. Frank quickly feels himself getting aroused and he slips his hand down the front of Gerard’s boxers, beginning to rub the man’s soft cock, trying (successfully) to get him as hard as his own cock is right now. Gerard lets out a soft, pleasant groan into Frank’s mouth as they kiss, clearly enjoying the way the boy is touching him. 

“Baby...we really shouldn’t be doing this right now...” says Gerard against Frank’s lips. 

“Why not?” 

“‘Cause Mikey might hear us, and if he does, then he probably won’t ever wanna spend the night over here again.”

“Well, we can be quiet...” says Frank coyly. He then pulls his hand out of Gerard’s boxers and scoots his body down the bed until he’s underneath the blankets pulling the undergarment down the man’s legs. 

“Baby...” Gerard says, chuckling as Frank pulls his boxers off from around his ankles as he’s beneath the blankets. “C’mon, get up here,” he says, pushing the blankets down, revealing the top of Frank’s head of dark, messy hair. 

Frank looks up at Gerard and gives him his best puppy eyes in the darkened room. “Please, daddy?” he asks, his mouth just inches from Gerard’s hard cock. He looks down and sees it twitch where it’s lying against the man’s belly and a smile creeps across his face because he knows Gerard wants this just as much as he does. “I know you’re horny, too...” he says just before taking the large head of Gerard’s cock into his mouth and tonguing it lightly at first before beginning to suck on it hard while still working his tongue around the tip. 

“Oh my God...” Gerard groans quietly as Frank pleasures him. He places a hand on the back of Frank’s head, tangling his fingers in the boy’s hair. 

Frank lets the head of Gerard’s cock fall from his mouth and then he licks the underside of it, from the tip all the way down to the balls and then back up again, which causes Gerard to let out another quiet, pleasant groan. 

“Does this feel good, daddy?” asks Frank teasingly, taking in Gerard’s manly scent as he gently sucks one of his heavy balls into his mouth. 

“Fuck yeah...so good, baby boy,” Gerard replies breathily. 

Frank now takes Gerard’s cock back into his mouth and holds onto the base of it while he bobs his head up and down on it, sucking hard and swirling his tongue around the tip each time he comes back up. Frank can tell by the way Gerard is squirming and curling his toes and breathing heavily that he’s trying really hard to be quiet so that Mikey won’t hear him moaning. He cheekily decides to test the man’s restraint by suddenly taking his cock all the way down his throat repeatedly, gagging a little when the head hits the back of it but still not stopping. 

Gerard seems to be caught off guard by Frank’s sudden deepthroating and he lets out a moan that’s definitely loud enough for Mikey to hear. 

“Shit...” Gerard says in a whisper now, looking down at Frank. “That feels too fucking good, baby...you gotta stop or else Mikey’s gonna hear me,” he says, gripping the base of his cock and pulling it out of Frank’s warm, wet mouth.

Frank takes in a few gasping breaths as he looks up at Gerard with a pleased smirk on his face as the man loosens his grip on the boy’s dark locks. 

“You’re so fucking naughty...” says Gerard, shaking his head as he also catches his breath. 

Frank gets up on his knees and reaches across Gerard’s body and over to the nightstand where he opens the drawer and blindly gropes around inside of it until he feels the cylindrical bottle that holds the personal lubricant. He takes the small bottle out of the drawer and then sits back on his knees as he flips open the cap with his thumb and then pours some of the liquid out into his open palm. 

“What are you doing?” asks Gerard with an eyebrow raised as Frank begins to coat the man’s cock with the clear, slippery substance. “You think I’m gonna fuck you or something?” he asks with a smirk. 

“Uh-huh,” says Frank confidently, nodding as he smirks back at Gerard. 

“Oh, yeah?” asks Gerard, chuckling a bit as Frank starts to smile. 

“Yeah, I do,” Frank whispers as he leans in and kisses Gerard hard on the lips, feeling his stomach flutter pleasantly when the man’s rough hands settle on each of his slender hips, squeezing them lightly. 

Gerard parts their lips after a while and then speaks. “You’ll have to be quiet,” he says softly. 

“I know,” says Frank, leaning in again and kissing Gerard needily. He gasps in surprise when Gerard suddenly sits up and roughly pushes him down so he’s lying on his stomach against the mattress. “Daddy...” he says breathily, looking over his shoulder at Gerard as the muscular man gets behind him and lies his heavy body down on top of the boy’s smaller one while guiding his thick cock into his tight opening, putting all his weight on him once he’s inside his tightness and just using his hips to thrust in and out of him. 

“Oh fuck, baby...” Gerard groans softly as he kisses Frank’s neck and the side of his face. He wraps one of his strong arms across the boy’s chest while fucking into him hard, making him moan loudly as his prostate is stimulated. “Shhh...” he whispers into Frank’s ear, still pounding into him relentlessly. 

“Oh my fucking God, daddy...you feel so good inside me...” Frank moans loudly, completely ignoring what Gerard had said about being quiet. 

Gerard slows down for a moment, breathing hard against Frank’s neck. “You have to be quiet or I’m gonna stop,” he whispers. 

“No, daddy, please don’t stop...” Frank whines needily into bedsheets. “Want you to make me be quiet...” 

“ _Make_ you be quiet?” asks Gerard. He reaches over, grabs Frank’s favourite stuffed teddy bear out from underneath one of the pillows and then presses it firmly against the boy’s mouth before continuing to thrust into him even faster and deeper than before. “Like this?” 

Frank is absolutely losing his mind at how well Gerard is hitting his prostate in this position and he continues to moan loudly and uncontrollably as the man thrusts his hips into him repeatedly. “Daddy, daddy...” he moans into the stuffed animal’s fur, which is barely doing anything to drown out his pleasure-filled sounds. 

“Baby, you really gotta stop,” says Gerard firmly, slowing down again. “He can definitely hear you.”

“Make me, daddy...” says Frank cheekily, really wanting Gerard to be rough with him for being naughty. 

“All right—that’s it.” Gerard throws the stuffed animal away somewhere and then firmly presses one of his large palms against Frank’s lips before continuing to pound his ass hard. “Shut your mouth and take this fucking cock, boy,” he says gruffly. 

Frank feels incredibly turned on by the way Gerard is speaking to him right now; he feels so sexy and naughty and dirty in the best way. He tries to moan out a “yes, daddy” as Gerard roughly stimulates his prostate with his huge cock, but the man’s hand is preventing any sound from coming out and Frank absolutely loves the way he’s being controlled right now. 

“Are you gonna be a good boy for me now, baby?” asks Gerard, his breath hot against Frank’s ear as he continues to fuck into him. He releases some of the pressure of his hand against Frank’s mouth now, allowing the boy to respond. 

“Yes, daddy,” says Frank as he nods, his voice slightly muffled by Gerard’s hand over his mouth. 

“You promise?” asks Gerard, moving his hand down from Frank’s mouth to grip his throat now. 

“Yes, daddy; I promise to be good,” says Frank softly, finally able to speak clearly again. 

Gerard begins pounding into Frank harder than ever now and the boy tries with his entire being to be quiet while he feels like coming all over the sheets beneath him just from his prostate being stimulated repeatedly. 

“That’s my good boy, baby...” Gerard whispers into Frank’s ear, his voice sounding strained as though he’s about to come. “Are you close?”

“Yeah,” Frank replies breathily. “Are you?”

“Yeah, so fucking close... Wanna fill you up,” says Gerard. He tightens his grip on Frank’s throat as his breathing catches, and a moment later Frank feels wet warmth inside of him as the man spills his load, his heavy body shuddering on top of the boy’s. Gerard pulls out and then flips Frank over onto his back before firmly pressing his palm against Frank’s mouth again and wrapping his fist around the boy’s cock, jerking him off with no restraint until cum begins to spurt out from the tip and onto his torso a second later as he moans into Gerard’s hand. 

“Holy shit,” says Frank, breathing hard after Gerard removes the hand from over his mouth. “You always fuck me so good, babe.”

Gerard smiles and leans in and kisses Frank’s lips softly. In no time the two of them are fast asleep. 

* 

The next morning, Frank and Gerard shower and get dressed and then make their way out into the kitchen where Mikey’s already up and eating a bowl of cereal at the dining table. He’s not making eye contact with either Frank or Gerard, and Frank has this sinking feeling that Gerard was right about Mikey hearing them having sex the night before. 

“Morning, Mikes,” says Gerard carefully as he opens the lid of the kettle and begins to fill it with water. 

“Morning,” says Mikey, staring into his bowl. 

Frank goes over to the table and sits down across from his friend. “Hey,” he says.

Mikey finally looks up from his bowl of cereal. “If I ever have to hear you guys fucking again, I’m gonna kill myself,” he says. 

Gerard nearly drops the kettle into the kitchen sink when he hears what Mikey has just said and Frank’s face burns hot with embarrassment as he looks over at Gerard, who looks equally as horrified. 

Frank looks across the table at Mikey and awkwardly says, “Uh, sorry...that was my fault...”

Mikey visibly shudders and then shakes his head. “Let’s just never talk about it again...” he says. 

*

“Are you seriously gonna eat all of that?” asks Frank, staring down at Jonah’s tray full of food as they sit inside of the bustling mall food court.

Frank had met Jonah at his place earlier where they’d spent about an hour fucking in his room before leaving the house to spend the rest of the afternoon skateboarding and smoking weed together at the park. 

“Yeah. Watch me,” Jonah replies, smirking before he also looks down at the two burgers, twenty nuggets, large fries and large drink on the tray in front of him. “This is my first actual meal in like three days—I’m fuckin’ starving,” he says before shoving a few fries into his mouth.

Frank’s eyes widen. “ _Three days_?” he exclaims. “Why the fuck haven’t you been eating?” 

“I been either coked-up or comin’ down and just haven’t had an appetite ‘til now,” says Jonah. “Finally feelin’ somewhat level again.”

“You should really lay off of the hard stuff for a while, don’t you think?” asks Frank worriedly. He’s noticed that Jonah has been looking thinner and more tired recently. 

“Yeah, I definitely should,” Jonah agrees, nodding. “I’m still gettin’ fucked up again tonight though.”

“By yourself?” asks Frank before taking a bite of his veggie burger. 

“Nah, me and my bros are doin’ this rooftop skate thing tonight—we’re basically just gonna skate and get fucked up,” says Jonah between mouthfuls of fries. “It’s actually here; on the rooftop of this place.”

Frank’s eyes light up as he feels intrigued by the idea of skateboarding on the roof of a building. “Really? How come you didn’t tell me about it? Can I come?” he asks hopefully.

“There’s finna be hella drugs there...you know Gerard don’t want you ‘round that shit,” says Jonah. “He doesn’t want me gettin’ fucked up ‘round you either. That’s why I ain’t mention shit.”

Frank sighs. He really wants to go out and have a good time with Jonah tonight but he knows that Gerard has to be okay with it, too. It’s been a while since he’s hung out with Jonah’s friends and he had such a fun time the last time.

“I can just ask him if he’s okay with me going this one time...”

Jonah shrugs. “Aight, go ahead.”

Frank takes out his phone and calls Gerard. It’s five o’ clock on a Friday evening so he expects the man to be home from work by now. 

“Hey, Frankie. What’s up?” Gerard says on the other end. 

“Hey, babe. I’m at the mall with Jonah. We’re just eating.”

“Oh, okay. Are you guys having a good time?” 

“Yeah,” says Frank. “I just wanted to ask you if you’re okay with me going out with him tonight.”

“Tonight? You’ve already been hanging out with him all day.”

“I know, but there’s this rooftop skate thing happening tonight and I really wanna go...” 

“A rooftop skate thing? Like, some kind of skateboarding party?”

“Yeah, sort of,” says Frank. “It’ll just be us and some of Jonah’s friends there.”

“Will there be drugs and alcohol?”

“Uh...yeah, probably,” Frank replies. “You know there usually is.”

“And you know how I feel about that,” says Gerard stiffly. “I especially don’t think substance use and skateboarding go particularly well together in terms of safety.”

“Well, I’m not gonna be doing any drugs, so...”

“Not even weed?”

“Well, uh...besides weed.”

“What about alcohol?”

“I dunno... Maybe a little?”

Gerard sighs. “You know what, Frankie, I really don’t like the idea of you going to this thing, but you’re an adult and I feel like I should treat you more like one,” he says.

“So, I can go?” asks Frank, perking up a bit.

“Yeah, you can go, but only if you promise not to skateboard if you’re smoking weed and/or drinking.”

“I smoke weed and skate all the time though and it’s fine.”

“Just listen to me, all right? It’ll be dark and you’ll be on a rooftop; I just want you to be safe.”

“Okay, fine.”

“And, make sure you stick close to Jonah while you’re there.”

“Okay, I will,” says Frank. “Thanks for letting me go.”

“You’re welcome, baby. I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

“Tell Jonah I say hi.”

Frank smiles. “I will,” he says before they both hang up. He looks at Jonah now. “He said I can go,” he says with a huge grin on his face. 

“Sweet,” says Jonah, smiling back, clearly excited about getting to spend more time with Frank tonight. 

“He also wanted me to tell you he says “hi,”” says Frank, relaying Gerard’s message.

“Really? That was kinda sweet of him,” says Jonah. “We should all chill again sometime.”

Frank nods. “Yeah, we totally should,” he agrees, remembering what they all got up to the last time Jonah came over...

“So, what you wanna do after this?” asks Jonah before taking a sip of his drink. “We still got lots of time before the skate.”

“Can we go back to your place and chill there?”

“Yeah, for sure.”

After they finish eating their meals they skate back to Jonah’s place and pass his lime green Beamer parked at the side of the street on their way towards the side door where the entrance to the basement suite is. 

“Your parents don’t let you park your car in the garage?” asks Frank. 

“Fuck no,” says Jonah with a laugh. “It’s cool though; this is a pretty good area.”

As Jonah lets them both into the suite, Frank thinks about how little he knows about Jonah’s parents, who live on the main and upper levels of the large house, but he doesn’t feel like this is the right time to ask him about them. Besides, he can tell that they’re not close, anyway. 

Once inside, Frank and Jonah leave their boards leaned up against the wall by the entrance door and then Jonah walks into the kitchen in the open concept floor plan and opens one of the cabinets from which he takes out a full bottle of dark liquor.

“What’s that?” asks Frank, walking over to Jonah as he twists the bottle cap and breaks the seal with a _crack_.

“Hennessy XO,” says Jonah. “It’s cognac,” he adds after seeing the clueless look on Frank’s face. 

“Cognac?” Frank says, still looking and feeling clueless. He really doesn’t know much about liquor. 

“It’s like brandy,” says Jonah, holding out the bottle for Frank to take a whiff of. Frank wrinkles his nose and recoils slightly after smelling the strong odour of the alcohol and Jonah chuckles. “Wanna try some?” he asks.

Frank shrugs, thinking it can’t taste any worse than the tequila shot he took at the club. “Yeah, sure,” he says.

“Go ahead,” says Jonah. He holds the bottle out to Frank again. 

“Right out of the bottle?” asks Frank with an eyebrow raised in surprise. 

“Yeah. That’s how I drink it.”

“All right,” says Frank with another shrug before taking the bottle from Jonah and taking a large sip of the honey-brown liquid. He makes a face when he realizes how strong and bitter it tastes and quickly swallows, feeling the alcohol burn his throat and esophagus on the way down. “Holy shit...” he says, handing the bottle back to Jonah as his mouth recovers. 

“It’s definitely an acquired taste,” says Jonah. He opens the fridge and takes out a can of an energy drink, pulling the aluminum tab and popping it open before holding it out to Frank. “Trade ya,” he says, taking back the bottle of Hennessy.

Frank grabs the energy drink and takes a couple gulps of it, washing the taste of the alcohol away. “Thanks,” he says afterwards, setting the can down on the countertop. He can already feel the large mouthful of alcohol he’d consumed going straight to his head and making his stomach feel warm. 

“Let’s go chill in my room,” says Jonah, taking Frank’s hand. “Bring that with you,” he adds, nodding towards the energy drink on the countertop. 

Frank grabs the can as Jonah pulls him by the hand and leads him to the bedroom, and in no time they’re on the bed, leaning against the headboard with their drinks in hand. Jonah takes a couple large swigs of Hennessy and swallows like it’s nothing as Frank looks on in astonishment. 

“Shit...” Frank chuckles as Jonah wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. “You’re drinking that stuff like it’s water.”

Jonah smirks and Frank’s stomach flutters pleasantly. “You’re surprised?” 

“I shouldn’t be, but yeah, I kinda am,” says Frank, smirking back as he takes the bottle from Jonah. 

Jonah raises an eyebrow. “You sure you want more?” 

Frank doesn’t answer; he simply puts the bottle to his lips before taking another large sip of the fine cognac, again making a face just before chasing the alcohol with the energy drink he’s holding in his other hand. He loves how tipsy he’s feeling already and he wants to keep this feeling going. 

Jonah takes the bottle back and takes a couple more gulps of the liquid inside it before setting it down on the nightstand. 

“Gerard didn’t ask you to stay sober tonight?”

“No,” says Frank, leaning into Jonah’s body a bit. “He said he needs to start treating me like an adult.”

“It’s true,” says Jonah. “He babies you hardcore.”

“I love when he does though,” Frank admits. 

“I know you do,” says Jonah with a chuckle, carefully slipping an arm around Frank’s waist. “I think you love everything about him...” he says, his voice getting softer as he speaks, looking as though he’s falling into a trance as he sits there admiring Frank’s face. 

“Yeah, I do,” says Frank, nodding. He smiles dreamily as Jonah’s hand squeezes his hip where it’s resting, gently making the boy’s hoodie ride up as he does so his hand is resting against bare skin now. Frank puts his hand flat against Jonah’s chest and begins to rub his pecs sensually, the alcohol dizzying him and making him feel frisky. 

“I know that feeling,” says Jonah. He then bites his lip and looks down at his lap for a moment as he smiles to himself and shakes his head. 

“What? Why are you shaking your head,” asks Frank laughingly as Jonah looks up, still smiling. 

“Not telling...” says Jonah softly, leaning in closer to Frank until their lips are touching. 

Frank’s stomach fills with pleasant butterflies as he kisses Jonah even though they’d made out lots earlier today; each time is a different experience for Frank and he can’t get enough. As they kiss, Jonah begins to pull Frank up and over towards him so that the boy is facing him while straddling his legs. Frank then drapes his arms over Jonah’s shoulders and drops his ass so he’s sitting right on top of Jonah’s thighs as the pink-haired guy grips his hips underneath his hoodie. The boy reaches up and turns Jonah’s snapback around so it’s sitting backwards on his head as it’s easier to make out with him without a brim in his face. 

Jonah pulls away for a second. “I’ll just take it off,” he says, pulling the hat off his head and then ruffling his head of pink hat-hair before going back to making out with Frank, placing both hands on the boy’s ass now. 

Frank is becoming needy to feel and to see Jonah’s bare skin; he brings his arms down between their bodies and grips the hem of the guy’s shirt before pulling it up feverishly. Jonah lifts his arms, allowing Frank to pull the garment up and over his head before tossing it away. Jonah then starts kissing Frank’s neck, causing the boy to let out a soft moan of pleasure as he enjoys Jonah’s soft lips pressing open-mouth kisses against his skin...

They spend the entire evening drinking and making out in Jonah’s bed, and by the time Ben arrives at ten o’clock to pick them up, they’re both drunk. Jonah does some blow in the bathroom (at least Frank is pretty sure he does by the way the guy is sniffing and rubbing his nose when he emerges) before they head out the door. 

Ben is driving with the music turned up loud as Frank and Jonah make out in the backseat. Jonah can hardly sit still and his hands are all over Frank and the boy figures the guy’s restlessness is from the coke he’d done. 

“Shoulda fucked you again before we left...” says Jonah into Frank’s ear between backseat kisses. “Want you so bad...”

Frank feels his stomach flip-flop pleasantly as his head spins from the alcohol and he giggles before pressing his lips hard against Jonah’s again, sighing deeply as the other shoves his tongue into his mouth. 

How the three of them get from the car to the rooftop of the mall with their skateboards is pretty much all a blur to Frank; he feels so euphoric and free and he can’t seem to focus on anything as everything seems like it’s moving even though he’s standing still. This is definitely the most drunk he’s ever been, and for the first time he doesn’t feel awkward or out of place amongst Jonah’s friends. He recognizes Tracy, Paulo and Colton, but there are several other people here that he hasn’t met before, most of whom have their skateboards with them and are either doing tricks or watching others doing tricks while a couple of people are filming. 

Tracy approaches and Jonah’s eyes light up. “Yo, what it do, Jones?” he says coolly as he and Jonah slap hands and then fist-bump each other. 

“Tracy, good to see you, man,” says Jonah. 

Tracy looks over at Frank now. “What’s good, Frankie?” he asks, holding a fist out. 

“Hey, Tracy,” says Frank with a smile, fist-bumping him. 

“Y’all gonna skate?” asks Tracy, looking at Jonah again. 

Jonah looks over at Frank who’s still looking and feeling pretty intoxicated. “You should prolly sober up before you get on your board...” he says. 

“I could totally skate right now,” says Frank confidently, slurring his words a bit, completely ignoring what Gerard had said to him earlier. “I skate stoned all the time.”

“Nah, it’s different when you’re drunk,” says Jonah, shaking his head. “Let’s just chill for a bit and skate later.” 

Jonah tells Tracy they’ll catch up in a bit and then takes Frank’s hand and leads him over to the edge of the rooftop where there’s a safety ledge. They put their boards down and Frank leans over the ledge and looks down, entranced by the colourful, streaming headlights of cars driving on the street below. He feels a sudden rush of adrenaline when he realizes just how high up they are on this building and then he draws back, starting to feel a little dizzy from looking down. He now turns to Jonah, who’s still holding his hand as he stares up at the stars, and notices that the guy’s pupils are twice the size they usually are. They remind him of full moons. 

“Which star you want, baby?” asks Jonah, still looking up, distracting Frank from his thoughts. 

Frank smiles to himself as he, too, looks up at the sky now. “Which star do I want?” he echoes dreamily, enjoying the pleasant flutter he gets in his stomach when he hears Jonah call him “baby.”

“Yeah,” says Jonah simply. Frank can hear a smile in his voice. “Pick one.”

Frank smiles even wider as he scans the tiny, brightly glowing lights all speckled across a canvas of inky night sky. His eyes settle on a twinkling star that appears to be directly above them and he decides that it’s the one he wants. 

“That one.” Frank points up at the sky. 

“You know there’s a billion stars up there,” says Jonah with a laugh. “Can you be a li’l more specific?” He’s speaking as though he’s actually going to buy a star for Frank and the boy finds it so endearing. 

Frank giggles, feeling so warm inside as he looks over at Jonah and so happy that they’re together right now. “ _That_ one,” he says, pointing again. “It’s like, right above your head; it’s the brightest one.”

“Hmm...” says Jonah, squinting a little as he peers up at the night sky. “Ah, fuck it,” he says after a while with a shrug. “I’ma just get you all of ‘em. You deserve all of ‘em. For real.” Jonah looks at Frank and the boy meets his eyes, feeling a little overwhelmed by how sweet this guy is being, but in a good way. 

“You’re so amazing,” says Frank, sort of thinking aloud as he stares dreamily at Jonah.

Jonah chuckles. “I’m not, but thanks.”

“You _are_ though,” Frank insists. “You’re so kind and sweet to me... And, it feels so...effortless being with you. We just go together so well.”

Jonah looks a little stunned after hearing Frank’s sweet words and he smiles. Frank feels an intense connection to him right now and he knows Jonah feels it, too; their eyes are locked onto each other’s and it’s as though their souls have joined together for a moment. Frank knows exactly what he’s feeling right now and it both scares him and excites him. The more he thinks about it, the more anxious he becomes...

“Don’t think,” Jonah says softly, as though he’s reading Frank’s mind, causing the boy to be the one who looks sort of stunned now. “Just feel this moment with me...” Jonah gently presses his lips against Frank’s; he kisses him tenderly while affectionately taking both of the boy’s hands in his and lacing their fingers together as their lips begin to dance slowly. 

Frank feels pleasant warmth flowing throughout his body as his mind relaxes and he melts into the kiss. He can’t recall a time that Jonah has ever kissed him this passionately before now and it’s making his head spin in the best way. They make out for a long time, and when their lips eventually part, they’re both smiling. 

“I know you felt that, too,” says Jonah, his eyes shining just like the stars in the sky as he looks at Frank. 

Frank smiles a little wider and blushes as he nods. “Yeah, I definitely did.”

Jonah looks uncharacteristically shy for a moment. “I’ve never been the first one to say it,” he admits. 

Frank’s heart melts when he realizes how vulnerable Jonah’s feeling right now. He instinctively lets go of Jonah’s hands and then wraps his arms around his torso, pulling him in for a hug, smiling into his chest when he feels the guy’s arms wrap snugly around his body, enveloping him in comforting warmth. 

“There’s no rush,” says Frank into cotton fabric. He feels Jonah’s shoulders relax. 

“I don’t even know if I _should_ say it...”

Frank’s heart drops but he understands why Jonah’s holding back. He himself is feeling guilt rising up from beneath these fluffy vibes; he wasn’t planning on falling for this handsome, pink-haired guy and now he’s not sure how he’s gonna tell Gerard... 

“Yeah, I prolly shouldn’t say it, but I’ma just do what I want...” Jonah pulls back from the hug so he’s face-to-face with Frank now, and he smiles a bit as his hands settle on the boy’s waist. “I love you, Frankie.”

Frank’s heart flutters and his face immediately brightens into a grin. He’s still a little caught off guard even though he knew this was coming. 

“I love you, Jonah.” He says it back before he even thinks about the repercussions. 

Jonah hugs Frank again, a little tighter this time, and the boy sighs contentedly into his shirt. 

“Yo, Jones! Frankie!”

They suddenly part and look towards the voice that had shouted to them; they see Ben standing across the way waving them over. As they grab their decks and walk over to Ben, the sounds of voices and skateboard wheels colliding with and rolling along the concrete ground return to Frank’s consciousness as he and Jonah are no longer off in their own little world. 

“You guys gonna skate, or what?” asks Ben as Frank and Jonah approach. 

The two lovers are pretty much in a daze right now as they look at each other. 

Frank shrugs. “I’ll skate around a bit,” he says, impulsively dropping his board to the ground, figuring he should try to be more social and get to know Jonah’s friends better. 

Jonah shakes his head as Frank steps onto his board. “You shouldn’t be skatin’ drunk, Frankie; I don’t want you gettin’ hurt.”

“I’m not even that drunk anymore...” says Frank as he takes off, thinking his dreamy dizziness is only the result of being in love. He starts off going a little faster than he’d intended to, but he thinks he’s sober enough to try to do a simple ollie. It’s the last thought that Frank has before everything goes black...


	18. Chapter 18

Frank slowly opens his eyes, feeling disoriented and uncomfortable as he lies against cold, hard concrete. There are voices all around him but for some reason he can’t focus on what they’re saying and all he can see are blurred, moving shadows of figures above him and red flashing lights. Suddenly, a bright light is being shined directly into his eyes and he reflexively squeezes them shut again; the brightness makes him feel queasy. He becomes aware of the fact that there’s something that feels like hard plastic covering both his mouth and nose and that he’s unable to turn his head from side to side or to look up or down as there’s something hard around his neck restricting its movement. 

As he becomes more conscious, Frank opens his eyes again and realizes that everything is still blurry and that his head hurts. He doesn’t know where he is nor who the many people hovering over him are and it’s at this point that he begins to panic. He lets out a noise when he suddenly feels his body being lifted up and now he’s on a hard surface being moved somewhere. For a moment all he sees is night sky above him and then all of a sudden he’s in a brightly lit room of some sort. Someone is holding his hand now but he can’t turn his head to see who it is because of whatever is around his neck, and he still can’t make out what anyone is saying—especially now that the sound of a vehicle’s loud engine has started up. 

Frank tries to ask whoever is with him where they are and what’s going on but all that comes out when he tries to speak is a groan. He feels like he’s in a nightmare. After what feels like only a few minutes later, he’s being wheeled into a building on whatever surface he’s lying on and all he can see above him are sterile-white ceiling tiles and rows of bright fluorescent lights and air vents. Something is now tightly squeezing his left upper arm and there are more bright lights being shined into his eyes. Along with the steady hum of voices all around him, there’s now an additional high-pitched sound of a machine beeping at a consistent rate and rhythm. He suddenly feels a sharp pain in his left hand like there’s a needle being stuck into it; he groans but he’s doubtful that anyone hears him over all the noise. 

“Frank, can you hear me, love?” A woman with an Australian accent is speaking to him from above. His eyelids are each lifted open one by one and then another bright light blinds him, making him feel nauseated again. 

Frank keeps his eyes open now and tries to focus them on the older woman with glasses and grey hair who’s wearing light blue scrubs and is smiling as she stares down at him. “Yeah,” he manages to croak out in response to the woman’s question about if he can hear her.

“Good,” says the woman, still smiling, which calms Frank down a bit. “My name is Carol. I’m one of the nurses here in the emergency room. You fell off your skateboard tonight and you hit your head pretty hard. You were taken here by ambulance. What’s the last thing you remember?”

Frank’s brow furrows as he tries to recall the events of that night. He remembers being at Jonah’s place and drinking with him, then making out with him in Ben’s car and then being on the rooftop of the mall looking at the stars with him. He remembers them saying “I love you” to each other and he smiles to himself as he thinks about that. 

“The last thing I remember is telling my friend that I love him.”

Carol smiles warmly. “Do you remember anything at all about the accident?”

Frank tries to shake his head and then quickly remembers that he can’t turn his head at all. “No,” he says. “I don’t even remember getting on my board.”

“That’s okay. It’s quite normal to have some memory loss of events immediately before or after losing consciousness,” says Carol as she writes something down on her clipboard. “I’m going to do a neurological assessment on you now, so I’ll be asking you some questions. Can you please state your full name?”

“Frank Anthony Iero.”

“Very good. Can you tell me today’s date? Month, day and year?”

Frank tells her. 

“Excellent. Squeeze my hands as hard as you can.”

Frank feels the nurse grip his hands and he squeezes. 

“Push your feet against my hands like you’re pushing on a gas pedal and then pull them up against my hands—again, as hard as you can.” 

Frank does. 

“Are you experiencing any numbness or tingling anywhere?” 

“No.”

“Any vision changes? Double vision? Blurry vision?” 

“Everything was really blurry when I first woke up, but it’s getting better. I just have a pretty bad headache and I feel dizzy and queasy.”

The nurse writes something down on her clipboard, and then as she asks Frank a lot more questions, the boy becomes frustrated because he’s not sure how long this assessment is going to take and he’s wondering where Jonah is and if his mom and Gerard know about what happened. 

“Where’s my phone and my clothes?” asks Frank once Carol is finally finished the assessment, now realizing that he’s wearing a hospital gown. He’s thankful that he at least still has his boxers on. “Can I call my mom?”

“Your friend who rode with you here in the ambulance is holding onto all of your personal belongings. He’s in the waiting area,” says Carol. “And, the admitting nurse has already notified your mom and has said that she’s on her way.”

Frank groans, closing his eyes for a moment. He desperately wants to check himself out of here right now just so that his mom doesn’t have to see him like this. He can only imagine how worried she’s going to be. “Can I just get outta here? Like, check myself out? I feel fine.”

“Unfortunately, you’re not in any shape to be discharged yet. The doctor has ordered a CT scan to check for any hematoma or swelling in your brain and for any cranial or spinal fractures. Until the imaging has been done and reviewed by the doctors, it’s very important that you stay here in the hospital and keep that neck brace on.”

“Fuck...” says Frank with an exasperated sigh. “Well, can I at least see my friend, please?” 

The nurse agrees and then she leaves the room. A few moments later, Jonah comes into the room and Frank’s heart swells when he sees his familiar face. He can tell that Jonah’s been crying: his eyes are glassy, red and puffy and his complexion is blotchy. 

“Frankie...” says Jonah, sounding concerned as soon as he lays eyes on Frank. He comes over to where the boy is lying in the hospital bed and looks down at him with an ultra-worried expression on his face. “How you feelin’, baby?” he asks, holding one of Frank’s hands which has a pulse oximeter secured to the first finger. 

“Hey, Jonah,” says Frank, trying to smile a bit. “I’m okay. I probably look a lot worse than I feel; I just have a headache and feel kinda queasy. Other than that I feel fine, except for some dizziness and blurry vision which are both going away.”

“I’m so fuckin’ sorry, babe...” says Jonah, beginning to cry again. 

“Hey, it’s not your fault,” says Frank, feeling terrible that Jonah is blaming himself for the accident. “What happened? I don’t even remember getting on my board.”

Jonah looks even more worried for a moment. “You got on your board pretty much right after we said “I love you” to each other—do you remember that?”

Frank smiles. “Yeah, I remember. I didn’t hit my head _that_ hard.”

Jonah smiles a bit, seeming relieved to hear that Frank at least remembers that part of the night. 

“Ben called us over and asked if we were gonna skate and you were like, “I’m gonna skate,” or somethin’, and you got on your board and I told you that you shouldn’t be skatin’ drunk and you said, “I’m not that drunk anymore,” and you just took off and started goin’ hella fast. I think you tried to do a trick but the landing got fucked up and you fell backwards. As you fell, you hit your head on one of the concrete pillars and then you were out cold. 

“Me and Ben just looked at each other for a sec like, “shit,” ‘cause we knew it was bad when you didn’t get up right away. We rushed over to you and I fuckin’ thought you were dead at first—I was freakin’ the fuck out, like, so scared... I was screamin’ your name, tryna get you to wake up and then Ben checked your pulse and told me you were just knocked out and not to panic. Tracy was way too fucked up to help out or anything, otherwise I know he would’ve. 

“Ben called 9-1-1 and the paramedics got there after what felt like forever but it was def less than ten minutes later. You were just startin’ to wake up and they got you on a stretcher and I asked if I could ride in the ambulance with you and they let me. One of the nurses called your mom to let her know what happened and I called Gerard; they’re both on the way.”

Frank’s eyes light up at the mention of Gerard and he realizes how much he wants to see him right now and to hold him and to be comforted by his warm embrace. 

“You called Gerard?”

“Yeah. Your phone was unlocked.”

“Thanks,” says Frank sincerely. “How’d he sound?”

“Worried as fuck, of course.” Jonah sighs and half-sits on the edge of the hospital bed, still holding Frank’s hand. 

Frank closes his eyes for a moment as the bright lights in the room begin to make him feel more nauseated. Soon he begins to feel really warm and lightheaded, too. 

“Frankie? You good?” asks Jonah, probably noticing that Frank’s eyes are closed now.

Frank tries to shake his head, but then he’s once again reminded of the restrictive neck brace he’s wearing. “Can you call the nurse?” he asks. “I think I’m gonna be sick...”

Jonah immediately rushes out of the room to get Carol, and Frank really hopes he doesn’t vomit all over himself before the nurse brings him a bucket or something. 

“Frank, I’ve brought you a basin in case you vomit,” says Carol as she comes back into the room with Jonah momentarily. Frank feels something being placed into his lap. “Did the nausea come on suddenly?”

“Yeah,” says Frank, feeling his stomach begin to settle somewhat now. “The lights are bothering me.”

“Hmm, photosensitivity...” Carol says to herself, writing something down on the papers on her clipboard. “I’ll turn the lights down.” She turns off the light above the bed but leaves the main light on which helps with the queasiness when Frank opens his eyes again. “I’ll be back with an antiemetic. You can use the call button beside you if you need anything else.” Carol leaves the room again. 

Jonah half-sits on the edge of the bed and holds Frank’s hand again. “You feelin’ okay?” he asks.

“A little better; the sick feeling’s going away a bit.”

Just then, the door opens and Frank looks up and sees a different nurse standing there, looking at him.

“There’s someone named “Gerard” here to see you,” says the nurse. “Can I send him in?” 

Frank’s eyes light up. “Yeah, he can come in.”

The nurse turns around and says something inaudible and then a moment later Gerard comes into the room looking sick with worry. He locks eyes with Frank and the boy immediately feels a sudden surge of emotion; his eyes well up with tears as the man comes over to him. 

Jonah gets up from the bed and goes to stand over by the door when Gerard comes over to Frank, respectfully giving them some space. 

“Frankie...” says Gerard softly, his worried-looking eyes also filling with tears as he takes one of Frank’s hands in his. He leans over and gingerly kisses Frank’s forehead as tears stream down the boy’s face. “Shh, it’s okay; I’m here, baby...” he says reassuringly, comfortingly squeezing Frank’s hand. 

Frank hiccups a couple times as his crying wanes and then he smiles a bit as Gerard carefully wipes the tears away from his cheeks with his fingers. 

“I’m just so glad you’re here,” says Frank, sniffing a bit once he regains his composure. 

“Me, too, baby,” says Gerard. “I love you so much.”

“I love you, too.”

“How are you feeling?”

“I have a headache and I feel kinda sick and dizzy...” says Frank. “My vision was blurry before, but that’s gone now.”

“Did you hurt your neck?” asks Gerard, concernedly eyeing the brace that Frank is wearing. 

“I don’t think so, but the doctor wants me to wear this thing until I get a CT scan.”

“When are they gonna do the scan? That brace looks uncomfortable.”

“I dunno. Hopefully soon so I can get this fucking thing off and we can go home.”

“Is your mom on her way?”

“Yeah, one of the nurses called her.”

“Okay, good,” says Gerard, nodding. “I’m gonna talk to Jonah for a minute, okay?”

“Okay,” says Frank, really not wanting Gerard to let go of his hand. 

Gerard goes over to Jonah, who’s now sitting on the floor next to the door with his back against the wall, looking kind of spaced out. 

“Jonah,” says Gerard, snapping the guy out of his thoughts. Jonah stands up and faces Gerard. “Tell me exactly what happened after I got off the phone with Frankie while you two were at the mall.” 

Jonah takes a breath and begins telling Gerard about the events of that night, starting with him and Frank going back to his place and getting drunk in bed before being picked up by Ben and going to the rooftop (he leaves out the part about telling Frank he’s in love with him), then goes on to describe Frank getting on his board despite being drunk and then falling and hitting his head, triggering the events that led to his hospital admission. 

Gerard looks puzzled. “So...why the fuck did you let him drink so much? And why didn’t you try harder to stop him from getting on his skateboard? You were right there with him, weren’t you? I just don’t fucking get it.”

“I dunno... I didn’t even realize how much we were drinkin’ or how drunk he was gettin’ ‘til I looked at the bottle before we left and saw that it was pretty much empty. And, I know I shoulda just taken his board away or somethin’—I wasn’t thinkin’ clearly. I’m a fuckin’ mess, Gerard...” says Jonah, sounding like he’s on the verge of tears again. 

“Yeah, you are a fucking mess,” says Gerard bitingly. “I can tell by your eyes that you’re high as shit right now. What are you on, anyway?”

Jonah sighs and tiredly runs a hand over his face. “Xanax, coke, weed, booze,” he lists off, looking ashamed afterwards. 

“Goddammit...” says Gerard, shaking his head. “What the hell was I thinking letting Frankie hang out with you?”

Jonah shakes his head and wipes away fallen tears from his cheeks with the sleeves of his hoodie. “I’m so fuckin’ sorry... I know I’m a bad influence on him for lettin’ him drink like that, and I know I shouldn’ta gotten so fucked up and that I shoulda done more to stop him from skatin’. Everything just happened so fast...”

Gerard takes a deep breath before he speaks again, looking like he’s trying hard to keep his cool. “This totally could have been prevented if you had chosen to be a responsible adult and stayed sober. I think you were just too fucked up to react quickly enough after Frankie got on his skateboard. You chose to blatantly ignore my request that you stay sober around him and it looks like you’ve also made zero effort to stop using even though I gave you the info about that NA group months ago. Bottom line is this: I don’t fucking want you around Frankie until you get clean and sober.”

Frank’s heart drops when it registers in his brain what Gerard has just said. He sees Jonah shaking his head and that the guy has started to cry even harder now. 

“Gerard, that’s totally unfair!” Frank exclaims. He’s not sure if he’ll be able to handle not seeing Jonah for an extended period of time. 

“Frankie, stay out of this,” says Gerard dismissively. 

“ _No_ ,” says Frank, sitting up a bit and feeling angry now. “Why shouldn’t I get a say in this when it fucking affects me the most?”

“Baby, you have a concussion because of Jonah. I’m not just gonna let him continue to see you while he’s a drugged-up mess.”

“Don’t call him that. And, would you stop making it seem like this is all his fault?” says Frank, raising his voice. “‘Cause it’s fucking not. _I_ made the decision to drink and _I_ made the decision to get on my board tonight despite you both telling me not to.”

“Fine. You’re both at fault,” Gerard snaps. “I still stand by what I said about him staying away from you until he quits using.” He turns towards Jonah again. “I don’t want you calling him or texting him either. Zero contact.”

Jonah shakes his head. “You cannot be fuckin’ serious, man...” he says. 

“Oh, I’m dead fucking serious,” says Gerard coldly. “So, are you gonna go get high and feel sorry for yourself? Or are you gonna take back control of your life and make a change?” 

“What the fuck even gives you the right to tell me I can’t see him?” asks Jonah. “Far as I’m concerned it’s a free fuckin’ country and you ain’t got no restrainin’ order.” Jonah looks over at Frank who’s still crying softly as he sits up in the hospital bed; his expression softens and his eyes get a sad look in them. He looks at Gerard again. “Why aren’t you lettin’ him have a say in any of this? He’s sittin’ there cryin’ ‘cause he loves me and you don’t want me ‘round him.”

Gerard looks over at Frank curiously and the boy feels his stomach drop unpleasantly as he realizes what Jonah has just said. 

“What’s he talking about?” asks Gerard. “Is that true? You love him?”

Frank wipes more tears from his face as his heart pounds. He doesn’t want to hurt Gerard but he knows he can’t lie about his feelings for Jonah. “Yeah,” he says quietly, sniffing. 

The way Gerard’s face dramatically falls after hearing Frank confirm that he’s in love with Jonah pretty much rips Frank’s heart in half. He feels terrible that he’s finding out this way. 

“Wow. Okay...” says Gerard, looking down at his feet and nodding to himself. He looks up after a moment and Frank sees that the man’s eyes are filled with tears and that he’s wearing a stunned expression on his face. “Since when?”

“Jonah only just told me he loves me earlier tonight and I said it back to him,” says Frank. “I’m so sorry, babe... This isn’t how I wanted to tell you. I wanted to talk to you about it properly and stuff...”

“Whatever, Frankie,” says Gerard, shaking his head, seeming like he doesn’t want to hear anymore. “There’s not really anything to discuss.” The man is obviously upset and Frank feels terrible about it. 

Jonah clears his throat. “Dude, I know it seems like I only told you that outta spite, but it’s not like that, I swear. It just slipped out. Frankie shoulda been the one to tell you—not me. I’m really fuckin’ sorry.”

Gerard shrugs. “You know what, Jonah? It’s not even like I’m surprised; I know you’ve been in love with Frankie ever since we started this open relationship. I could just tell. I naively thought you’d always be okay with just keeping your feelings to yourself out of respect to me. That’s why it never really bothered me. Now, hearing it said out loud and knowing that Frankie feels the same way about you...it hurts, honestly.” Gerard looks at Frank now. “It just feels different knowing I’m not the only man you love anymore.”

Frank feels his heart sink. If he wasn’t attached to the heart monitor, he would run over to Gerard and give him the biggest hug right now. “Gerard, you know I love you with all my heart and I always will. Me being in love with Jonah, too, doesn’t change how I feel about you at all. I don’t want to have to choose one of you over the other; I just want things to stay the way they were.”

Gerard sighs and looks at Frank wearily. “Well, I dunno what I want anymore, Frankie...” he says. 

Frank’s stomach churns and his eyes fill with tears. He feels like he’s about to have a panic attack because he assumes that Gerard’s statement means that he isn’t sure if he even wants to be with him anymore and the boy just can’t deal with the possibility of them going through another break up. Just as Frank begins to sob, the door opens and his mom rushes into the room. Frank doesn’t think he’s ever been so happy to see her; she immediately wraps her son up in a hug when she gets over to the hospital bed and Frank feels so at home and comforted in her arms. 

“Sweetie, it’s okay, mama’s here...” says Linda comfortingly as Frank wraps his arms around her and clings to her needily like he’s a little boy again. She looks up and over at Gerard and Jonah as she embraces her son. “Could you two please give us some space? I’ll be out there to talk to you both after I’ve seen Frankie,” she says somewhat sternly. 

Gerard and Jonah willingly leave the room and gently close the door behind them. 

“How are you feeling, sweetie?” asks Linda, pulling away a bit so she can look at her son’s face. She grabs a few tissues from the box on the overbed table and wipes the tears from his cheeks and his runny nose. “Are you in pain? Is that why you’re crying so much?” she asks gently with great concern evident in her voice. 

It takes Frank a minute to finally calm down and stop crying so that he can respond to his mom’s question. He’s still reeling from Gerard’s vague and anxiety-provoking statement of, “I don’t know what I want anymore.” It’s all he’s thinking about right now—well, besides how his sobbing has now turned his headache into a migraine and brought on more nausea. 

“I have a migraine and I feel like I’m gonna throw up,” says Frank between sniffs and hiccups. “My nurse said she was gonna bring me something to help with the nausea...”

Linda reaches down and presses the call button. “Oh, you poor thing... That’s really not good, honey...” she says worriedly, smoothing Frank’s hair. “So, you fell off your skateboard?”

“Yeah,” says Frank, not wanting to tell her that he was drunk and stoned when it happened. 

The call light above the bed turns off and Carol comes back into the room momentarily. She looks at Linda and smiles as she walks over to the hospital bed. 

“Hi, you must be Frank’s mom. I’m Carol; I’m the nurse who’s been looking after your son tonight.”

“Hi, yes, I’m Linda,” says Frank’s mom, stepping aside so that Carol can administer the medication she’s holding in her hand in a syringe. “Is that the antiemetic? He says he feels like he’s about to vomit.”

“Yes, this is ondansetron,” says Carol, holding up the syringe that’s full of a clear substance. “I’m going to administer it intravenously.” She takes Frank’s left hand and swabs the port of his saline lock before flushing it with saline and then slowly administering the medication. When she’s finished, she flushes the saline lock again and then discards the syringes.

“He also has a bad headache. Has the doctor ordered a CT scan?”

“Yes, I’ll be taking him to the medical imaging area for the CT scan shortly,” says Carol. “And, I have some medication for your headache, Frank.”

Carol hands Frank two small, white pills which he quickly swallows with a bit of water, eager for his migraine to go away. 

“So, what else can you tell me?” asks Linda. “How’s he doing?”

“His condition is stable; however, the blood test we ran showed that his blood alcohol content is significantly elevated, so we’re trying to determine if the nausea and some of his other symptoms are due to a more serious head injury or to the excessive alcohol consumption.”

Linda looks at Frank, clearly shocked to hear the results of her son’s blood test. “You were drinking? Seriously, Frankie? You know that’s not how I raised you.” She sighs. “We’ll talk later.”

Frank is so over everything right now that he doesn’t even care that his mom is going to give him an earful later on. He just can’t stop thinking about what Gerard had said earlier and he can’t stop feeling terrible about hurting him...

“I’ll take you to your CT scan now,” says Carol. 

Carol puts a positioning sling underneath Frank and then transfers him onto a stretcher using a ceiling lift before taking him to the medical imaging department where he gets the CT scan. Linda goes to the waiting area while Frank is getting his scan. 

“Make sure you stay very still...” the technician says through the intercom as Frank lies in the narrow tunnel of the CT scanner. 

The scan doesn’t take long, and once it’s finished, Carol takes Frank back to the room he was in before where he’s now by himself. Feeling exhausted and seeing that it’s now almost two o’clock in the morning, Frank closes his eyes and falls asleep. At some point he wakes up and his mom is in the room again but now there’s also a man in a white coat with a stethoscope around his neck in the room talking to her. 

“Frankie, you’re awake,” says Linda, going over to Frank and pushing his hair up off his forehead. “How are you feeling?” she asks. 

“Just tired,” says Frank groggily, looking over at the doctor, eager to find out if he can go home now. 

“Frank, I’m Dr. Saunier. I just had a chance to look at your CT scan and the good news is that everything looks normal—you just have a mild concussion. Your headache may last for a few days but you can take an over-the-counter analgesic for it as needed. Your nausea is probably due to all the alcohol you drank tonight. So, we can take that neck brace off and send you home.”

“Okay, sweet,” says Frank. 

“I would advise you to not be by yourself for the next 48 to 72 hours so that you can be closely monitored for any delayed signs of a more serious head injury that can show up later on. And, absolutely no contact sports or physical activities where there’s any possibility of hitting your head for the next few weeks. You got lucky this time, but getting a second concussion soon after the first one could cause serious and irreversible disability or impairment.

“For your health and safety I strongly advise against using alcohol, especially when doing sports and other physical activities. And, as you’re underage, you really shouldn’t be drinking anyway. Further, I know you kids don’t find it “cool,” but you should always wear a properly fitting helmet while skateboarding or biking or whatever. 

“I’m going to discharge you home, and I’d ask that you come back to the emergency room if you develop any new symptoms such as a very sudden and severe headache, persistent vomiting, decreased level of consciousness, trouble speaking or difficulty moving your limbs. Your nurse will come back to remove the IV in your hand and take off that neck brace, and then you’ll be free to go. Do you have any questions?”

“Uh, no, I just wanna get outta here,” says Frank. Linda looks over at him disapprovingly. “Oh, and thanks for everything,” he adds. 

“You’re very welcome. Stay out of trouble now.”

Linda asks Dr. Saunier some questions which Frank doesn’t pay attention to and then she thanks the doctor and he leaves the room. 

“So, where’d you get the alcohol from?” Linda asks as soon as they’re alone. 

“I was at Jonah’s place earlier and I just tried a bit of what he was drinking.”

“You just “tried a bit”?” asks Linda skeptically. “Your bloodwork seemed to say otherwise.”

“Okay, so I got drunk, Mom. Big deal. Pretty much everyone my age drinks.”

“You think I’m just gonna brush this off? You wouldn’t have a head injury if you hadn’t been drinking, Frankie,” says Linda frustratedly. “That Jonah guy is a walking hazard—I knew it from the first time I met him when he reeked of marijuana. He looks high as a kite right now even. I don’t want you hanging out with him anymore—he’s dangerous.”

“Cool, thanks for your input,” says Frank, rolling his eyes cheekily. 

“Could you not be a little shit for once?” asks Linda frustratedly. 

Just then, Carol comes back into the room and Frank is glad because it means he’s now even closer to getting out of here. 

“So, Frank, I hear you got some good news from Dr. Saunier,” says Carol cheerily. “I’m just going to take out that IV in your hand and remove your neck brace and then you can finally get home, which I’m sure you’re looking forward to.”

“Yeah, you have no idea...” says Frank tiredly. 

Carol chuckles and then takes out the IV from Frank’s left hand; she replaces it with a piece of gauze taped over top and instructs Frank to apply firm pressure to the site for a minute. Next, she undoes the straps on the hard neck brace and then removes it. Frank immediately turns his head from side to side, feeling relieved to be able move his neck freely again. 

After that, Carol says goodbye and wishes Frank good luck in his recovery and then both Frank and Linda thank her before she leaves the room. Frank then takes off the hospital gown and gets dressed in his own clothes. 

“You’re going straight to bed when we get home,” says Linda as Frank pulls the hood of his black hoodie up over his head. 

Frank’s brow furrows. “What do you mean? I’m going home with Gerard.” 

“No, you’re not. I spoke to him while you were getting your CT scan and he agreed with my request that you’ll move back home with me for a few weeks while you recover.”

“A few _weeks_? What the _fuck_?” Frank exclaims, his heart rate suddenly increasing as he feels that panicked feeling setting in again. _Does Gerard really not want to be with me? Does he want me to move out?_ he wonders. “What’s with you guys just deciding that I don’t get a say in shit that directly affects me tonight? This is so unfair!”

“Hmm, I dunno, Frankie—maybe ‘cause you’ve proved to me tonight that you’re irresponsible and can’t be trusted to make sound adult decisions yet?” Linda says sarcastically. “Seriously: skateboarding while you’re drunk? What the hell were you _thinking_? In what world do you think it would be safe to do that?”

Frank sighs and shakes his head, suddenly feeling a wave of exhaustion come over him. “Can we just fight tomorrow instead? I’m done.”

“Fine,” says Linda curtly. 

Frank and his mom leave the hospital room and go out into the waiting area where Gerard and Jonah are seated next to each other, appearing to be having an intense conversation. They both immediately stop talking and stand up when they see their hooded teen lover enter the room and Frank can’t help but to get pleasant butterflies in his stomach when he realizes just how much they both love and care about him. He also silently wonders what the two of them have been talking about the entire time they’ve been waiting out here...

Frank stops just ahead of where Gerard and Jonah are standing and Linda turns around and looks at her son curiously. 

“Mom, can I just meet you in the car? I need to talk to them.”

Linda shrugs, probably knowing that Frank is just going to do whatever he wants either way. “All right, but make it quick; you need to get home and rest,” she says. “I’ll bring the car around.”

Linda leaves the emergency room and Frank goes over to Gerard and Jonah. 

“Hey. The doctor said my scan looks fine so I can go home. It’s just a mild concussion,” says Frank.

“Oh, thank God,” says Gerard, sounding extremely relieved. 

“Yeah, that’s great news,” says Jonah.

Gerard looks over at Jonah now. “Could you, like, give us half a sec, please?” he asks. 

“Yeah, no sweat,” says Jonah with a nod. “I’ll be outside.”

“Why’d you tell my mom you’re okay with me spending a few weeks living with her?” Frank asks as soon as Jonah’s out of earshot. 

“Because I _am_ okay with it. If it was Mikey in your position, I’d want him home with me while he recovered. If you were a parent, you’d understand.”

Frank’s eyes well up with tears and he bites his lip, trying to will himself not to cry again. “Well, you could have at least fucking asked me first instead of just making the decision for me—again,” he says, sounding choked up. “Aren’t you gonna miss me?” he asks, desperately hoping Gerard will change his mind. 

“Of course I’m going to miss you, Frankie,” says Gerard gently, his eyes filling with tears. “I’m just trying to do what’s best for you. And, maybe spending some time apart will actually be good for us right now.” 

Frank feels a tear rolling down his cheek. “Do you not wanna be with me anymore, Gerard?” he asks. “Is that why you said you don’t know what you want anymore?” He just can’t leave here without knowing what Gerard had meant by the vague statement he’d made earlier. 

“What?” says Gerard, his brow furrowed. “No, baby, that’s not at all what I meant by that,” he says reassuringly. “That thought never even crossed my mind.”

“Really?” asks Frank, sniffing as he dries his eyes with one of the sleeves of his black hoodie.

“Yes, really. I never want us to break up again, Frankie—no matter what. I don’t ever want you to doubt that. Yeah, I was definitely jealous and upset when I first learned that you’re in love with Jonah, too, but when I said, “I don’t know what I want anymore,” I only meant that I didn’t know if I wanted to continue with the open relationship anymore, knowing that fact.”

Frank nods, feeling relieved but also worried that Gerard will want him to stop seeing Jonah altogether regardless of if the guy gets clean or not now that he knows they’re in love. 

“Are you still trying to figure out what you want?” asks Frank carefully. 

“Well...do you really love him?” 

Frank nods. “Yeah, I really do.”

Gerard sighs and affectionately tucks a piece of Frank’s hair behind his ear. “You know I’m a sucker for seeing you happy, baby—it’s all I want for you. And, if Jonah makes you happy and you guys love each other, then I want you to keep seeing him—as long as you still love me, too.”

Frank smiles. “You’re way too good to me, Gerard,” he says, unable to contain his grin. “And, I’ll never stop loving you,” he adds sincerely.

Gerard smiles back warmly and pulls Frank into a tight hug, draping his arms over the boy’s shoulders while he’s being hugged around the waist by him.

After a while, Gerard pulls back and looks down at Frank again. “I had a long talk with Jonah while we were waiting out here for you,” he says. 

“Yeah? What’d you talk about?” asks Frank interestedly. 

“We talked about you; about how we could make this work. I’m still adamant that he gets clean before I let him spend time with you again, and he sounds like he’s ready to make that change in his life, especially since it means he’ll get to hang out with you again. He knows he has a problem and that he can’t go on like this,” Gerard explains. “Your mom really wants you to stay with her for a while and Jonah wants to get clean and I have some time off from work coming up. What do you think about Jonah staying with me for a month while I help him get sober? Would you be okay with that?”

Frank is more than a little surprised by Gerard’s offer to let Jonah stay with him for an entire month when they barely even know each other. 

“Yeah, I’d definitely be okay with it, but why are you doing this?” asks Frank. “Won’t living with him be kinda awkward for you?”

Gerard sighs. “He’s important to you, right?” 

“Yeah, of course he is.”

“Well, if he’s important to you, he’s important to me; I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure he gets better.”

Frank just stands there feeling stunned for a moment because he just can’t believe how selfless and understanding Gerard is being. It’s not like it’s anything new for him to be this way, but it always astounds Frank when he witnesses how extremely empathetic this man is. 

“Gerard...” Frank says, his voice trailing off as his eyes fill with tears yet again. He shakes his head. “How’d I get so lucky? I feel like I don’t fucking deserve you. You put up with all of my shit like it’s nothing and you never even ask for anything in return.”

“I don’t “put up” with you, baby.” Gerard wipes the fallen tears away from Frank’s cheeks. “I love you so much and you deserve everything and more. You’re so special to me and I just want you to have whatever you want in this life. As long as you love me and you’re happy, then nothing else really matters. I would do anything just to be with you.

“I’ve been through a lot in my life and at this point I know exactly what I want and what I need in a relationship, and I know how important it is to compromise if you really want to be with someone and make a complicated relationship work. We’ve had an unconventional relationship from the start and I’ve accepted that it’s always going to be that way. I’ve also accepted that you and Jonah are in love and that he’s a part of our lives now. Despite all of that, you’re still so perfect for me, Frankie. There’s gonna be a lot of stuff for us to figure out over the next little while and it’ll be a lot of work, but I know the three of us will get through it together.”

Frank is fully crying now and he buries his face in Gerard’s jacket as he holds him again, just feeling so grateful for his unconditional love and understanding. He feels Gerard’s strong arms wrap around his body and feels his hands comfortingly rubbing up and down his back. 

“I’m gonna miss you so much,” Frank cries into Gerard’s jacket. 

“I’m gonna miss you, too, baby bear,” says Gerard, kissing the top of Frank’s hooded head. “I know I said before that I didn’t want Jonah calling you or texting you, but I changed my mind about that. It was selfish of me to even suggest that; I was just really upset at the time. I think being able to talk to you will help him cope with the withdrawals and getting used to not using anymore.”

Frank nods against Gerard’s chest, grateful that he’ll still be able to talk to Jonah over the next month while he recovers. 

“Anyway, I should let you go now; I know Jonah wants to talk to you, too, and I’m sure your mom is anxious to get you home so you can rest.” 

Frank nods again and pulls away and dries his eyes and face with his sleeves. Gerard gives the boy a soft kiss on the mouth and then holds his hand and leads him outside of the main entrance of the emergency room where Jonah is leaning against the wall, smoking a cigarette. He drops the cigarette and puts it out underneath one of his sneakers as soon as he sees the other two approaching. 

“Thanks for waiting, Jonah,” says Gerard. 

“No worries, man,” says Jonah with a shrug. 

“I’ll bring the car around while you and Frankie talk,” says Gerard. He lets go of Frank’s hand now and turns to face the boy. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow, okay, baby?” he says, kissing the boy’s forehead. 

Frank nods. “Okay,” he says. “I love you, Gerard.”

“I love you, too, Frankie.” Gerard then heads off towards the parking lot. 

Frank goes up to Jonah and gives him a tight hug, feeling comfort when he feels the guy’s arms wrap around him, too. 

“Frankie... I’m so fuckin’ glad you’re okay, babe,” says Jonah into the crook of Frank’s neck. 

“Me, too,” says Frank, relaxing into Jonah’s arms. 

“You feelin’ a li’l better now?” asks Jonah as he pulls back a bit to look at Frank. 

“Yeah, the nurse gave me something for the nausea and for my headache.”

“Okay, that’s good,” says Jonah. “Look, I’m really sorry ‘bout tellin’ Gerard you love me. I shoulda just kept my fuckin’ mouth shut. I feel so bad...”

Frank shakes his head. “It’s okay, don’t even worry about it, Jonah; I would have told him anyway,” he says. “So...he asked me if I’m okay with you staying with him for a while, and I told him I am.”

Jonah nods. “Thanks. Yeah, he asked me what I was gonna do tonight and I told him I was prolly just gonna get even more fucked up even though I know I shouldn’t. He told me he didn’t think I should be alone tonight and that he didn’t wanna be alone either, and then he offered to let me crash at his place. I told him I’m serious ‘bout gettin’ off the drugs but it’s so hard doin’ it on my own without any support. I was shocked when he offered to let me stay with him for a whole month and help me get sober while you’re stayin’ with your mom. If you’re gonna call someone “amazing,” it’s him, Frankie. I’ve honestly never met anyone like him,” says Jonah sincerely. 

Frank smiles. “He is amazing; he’s always so generous and selfless,” he says. “Not gonna lie though—I’m kinda jealous that you guys are gonna be spending all that time together without me. It’d be so much fun getting to live with both of you.”

“Yeah, I’m gonna miss you like crazy, baby...” says Jonah, looking sad as he holds both of Frank’s hands in his. “It’s gonna be hard as fuck gettin’ sober as it is.”

“I know you can do it though, Jonah,” says Frank confidently. 

Jonah nods. “I _gotta_ do it; there’s no other choice,” he says. “Gerard said I’m gonna end up either dead or in jail if I don’t stop, and he’s fuckin’ right. He wasn’t tryna scare me or nothin’ either; that’s just real shit.”

Frank gets a chill when he thinks about the reality of Jonah’s situation and he instinctively gives him another hug, not wanting to dwell on either of those two possibilities even for a second. 

“I ain’t gon’ let it happen, Frankie, so don’t worry,” says Jonah reassuringly. “I just want you to focus on restin’ up and gettin’ over that concussion.”

Frank nods his head against Jonah’s body and holds him a little tighter, intensely aware of the fact that he won’t be seeing him again for weeks after this. 

“I miss you already...” says Frank into the fabric of Jonah’s hoodie. “I love you so much.”

“God, I love you so much, too, Frankie,” says Jonah. 

A moment later, Gerard pulls up in his black SUV in the pick up/drop off area just outside of the main entrance to the emergency room where Frank and Jonah are embracing each other. 

Jonah looks up and sighs. “‘Kay, I gotta bounce, baby; Gerard’s here,” he says as he pulls back. “Ben’s got your board, by the way. He’s got mine, too. I’ll grab ‘em both when I get a chance.”

“Okay, thanks,” says Frank, not really even caring about his skateboard right now, just sad to see both of his lovers leaving. 

Jonah gently kisses Frank’s lips and then heads over to Gerard’s car where he gets into the front passenger’s seat. Gerard waves at Frank and blows him a kiss which the boy returns while his eyes fill with tears as he watches them drive away. 

He sees his mom’s car parked just behind where Gerard’s was and he dries his eyes before walking over and getting into the front seat next to her. The drive home is mostly silent as they’re both tired at almost three o’clock in the morning, and Frank is quietly crying, wishing he was going home with Gerard and Jonah right now. 

When they get home, Frank goes straight to his room where he undresses. He notices a couple of scrapes on his arms and a bruise on his hip from the fall, but neither of them are very bothersome to him. He gets into bed and then Linda comes in and tucks him in like he’s a little kid again after giving him an ice pack for the bump on the back of his head. 

“Do you have a shift scheduled for tomorrow?” asks Linda. 

“No, I’m not on the schedule again ‘til Monday,” says Frank. “I’ll call in to cancel tomorrow.”

Linda nods and then kisses her son on the forehead and turns out the light before leaving the room. Frank falls asleep as soon as he closes his eyes. 

*

Frank wakes up with a dull headache at two o’clock in the afternoon, feeling dehydrated and still tired despite having slept for eleven hours straight. He sits up in bed and checks his phone, seeing that he has a missed call and a text message from Mikey as well as texts from both Gerard and Jonah. Frank begins reading his messages:

 **Mikey** : _hey man, my dad told me about your accident... i’m so worried about you, i hope you’re doing okay. i’m glad to hear you’re out of the hospital now at least. anyway, call me whenever you feel up to it. love you dude._

 **Gerard** : _Morning Frankie, how are you feeling? I’m missing you lots... Call me when you’re all rested up. I love you._

 **Jonah** : _hey frankie hope ur feelin ok today call me when u get a chance love u sm baby <3 _

Frank is feeling overwhelmed from having so many messages to reply to that he almost feels like not replying to any of them at all right now. He sighs, and a moment later he hears a soft knock on his bedroom door.

“Yeah, come in.”

The door opens and Linda comes in. “Hey, honey,” she says as she sits down on the edge of Frank’s bed. “I’m glad you slept for as long as you did. How are you feeling?” 

“I have a headache but otherwise I feel okay.”

“Good,” says Linda, smiling a bit. She looks at Frank’s phone which he’s still holding in his hands. “You’re going to need lots of rest over the next few weeks while your brain recovers from that injury, and that means resting your eyes, too—so, no staring at your phone screen for hours, okay?”

“Okay,” says Frank, knowing he’s probably not going to listen anyway. 

“Gerard wanted to come and see you today and I told him no.”

“Of course you did,” says Frank with a sigh, too tired to be upset. 

“I just want you to rest, Frankie. You shouldn’t be dealing with anything stressful right now, and it seems like there’s something messy going on between you, him and Jonah—judging by the way he and Jonah were talking last night.”

“By the way they were talking? Well, what’d you hear?”

“Nothing specific, but as I approached them to ask them what happened they seemed to be having a pretty intense conversation. Gerard seemed really upset and Jonah was crying; they stopped talking when they saw me though, so I didn’t hear anything. It just doesn’t seem like a good situation you’re in, Frankie. I hope you’re being careful and smart and not playing with other people’s emotions and lives. It can get pretty complicated being involved with more than one person at the same time and I hope you’re prepared for that. Besides, like I said last night: I don’t even want you hanging out with that Jonah kid anymore.” 

Frank swallows hard and goes a bit red in the face when he realizes that his mom has figured out that he’s seeing both Gerard and Jonah at the same time. “They’re both cool with it—it’s fine,” he says dismissively, not wanting there to be any further discussion about this awkward topic. 

Linda shakes her head, seeming puzzled. “All right...” she says skeptically. “Anyway, when were you going to tell me you got a tattoo?”

Frank’s heart skips a beat. “What?” he asks, feeling absolutely horrified. 

“The tattoo on the inside of your left upper arm,” Linda clarifies. “When were you going to tell me about it?” she asks, looking at Frank expectantly. “And, why’d you choose the phrase “daddy’s boy”?”

Frank just wants to disappear into thin air at this very moment because of the embarrassment he feels. “I was actually hoping you’d never see it...” he admits. “It’s meant to be sarcastic, obviously, because, you know...I’m clearly not a “daddy’s boy,”” he bullshits, definitely not about to explain to his mom about his and Gerard’s role playing. 

Linda sighs. “How long have you had it?”

“Since my nineteenth birthday,” Frank replies. “Jonah took me to get it done at this studio that one of his friends works at.”

Linda nods. “Of course he did,” she says, not seeming surprised at all. “You aren’t planning on getting any more, are you?”

“Uh...maybe?” Frank replies, raising his eyebrows, unsure of what his mom’s reaction will be. 

“Seriously, Frankie?” asks Linda, tilting her head and sounding severely disappointed. 

“Well, yeah. At least let me have control of my own body if you insist on controlling every thing else in my life.”

Linda shrugs resignedly. “Fine,” she says. “I just don’t think permanently inking your daddy issues into your skin is a good idea. But, who cares what I think?” she adds, throwing her hands up dramatically. 

“Can you just stop with the whole thinking I have “daddy issues” thing? It’s irritating.”

“It’s irritating because it’s a hard truth to accept.” Linda stands up as Frank rolls his eyes. “I’m gonna go make lunch; I’ll bring it up to you when it’s ready,” she says as she walks to the door to leave. “Stay off your phone—the eye strain will make your headache worse.” She shuts the door behind her. 

Frank sighs and picks up his phone again as soon as his mom is out of the room, muttering to himself about how he doesn’t have “daddy issues.” He decides to return Mikey’s call first; he dials the number and waits a few seconds before his friend picks up. 

“Frankie, how are you?” asks Mikey, deep concern evident in his tone of voice. 

“Hey, Mikey. I’m okay, thanks. Just have a headache still. I got your text when I woke up a little while ago—thanks for checking in.”

“Of course, man. I was so fucking worried when my dad called me this morning and told me what happened. I’m so glad it wasn’t any worse...” 

“Yeah, I definitely got lucky that way... It could have been a lot worse,” says Frank. “Definitely not gonna be skating drunk ever again,” he adds with a bit of a chuckle. “Easily the stupidest thing I’ve ever done.”

Mikey chuckles. “We all have our moments, dude. I’m just so glad you’re okay,” he says. “So, my dad said you’re gonna be living with your mom again for a while?”

Frank sighs. “Yeah,” he says glumly. “It sucks having to move back home, but she really wants me to stay here while I recover.”

“I guess she wants to keep an eye on you since she’s a nurse and all?”

“I dunno. I guess so...” says Frank. “I honestly think she’d use any excuse just to get me to stop living with Ger—your dad.”

“Yeah, probably,” Mikey agrees.

“She won’t even let him come over to see me.”

“Seriously?” Mikey exclaims. “That’s pretty harsh.”

“She just wants me to rest until my headaches go away, and I get that, but who knows how long that’ll take? I’m gonna feel so fucking bored and isolated after like a day of being by myself.”

“She has to let us come and visit you eventually—she can’t just force you to not see anyone for weeks.”

Frank sighs again. “Yeah. I’m sure she will eventually. I’m probably just being dramatic. I just miss your dad and Jonah so much...”

“Speaking of Jonah...my dad mentioned that they’re gonna be living together while you’re at your mom’s...” says Mikey. “He said he’s “helping him work through some stuff,” whatever that means...”

“Yeah, uh...Jonah has a drug problem.” 

“ _Oh_...” says Mikey, sounding surprised. “Damn, I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Your dad’s helping him get sober which I think is really fucking kind of him to even offer.”

“Yeah, it totally is,” Mikey agrees. “It doesn’t surprise me though; he’s always been super kind almost to a fault.”

“He’s just so...” Frank begins dreamily, letting his voice trail off as he realizes it might be weird for Mikey hearing his friend gush about how amazing and sweet and selfless his dad is. “Yeah. Anyway... Maybe I should just call him now. He sent me a text earlier, too.”

“Yeah, okay,” says Mikey, sounding a little awkward as though he can’t wait to get off the phone now. “I’ll catch you later, man. Hope you’re feeling better soon.”

“Thanks, Mikey.”

The two friends end their call after that and then Frank decides to call Gerard next. 

“Hey, Frankie,” says Gerard when he answers the call. “How’re you feeling, baby?”

Frank smiles immediately when he hears Gerard’s voice. “Hey, Gerard,” he says. “I’m feeling okay, just woke up with a headache. Feeling a lot better now after hearing your voice though.”

“Aww...” says Gerard, and Frank can hear the smile in his voice. “Did you get lots of rest?”

“Yeah, I did—I slept for like eleven hours,” says Frank. “I talked to Mikey a while ago. You told him Jonah’s staying with you?”

“Yeah,” says Gerard. “Is it okay that I did? I just wanted everything out in the open.”

“No, I get it—it’s totally okay with me that he knows,” says Frank. “How’s Jonah doing?”

“He seems okay; he’s been sleeping pretty much all day, coming down from all the stuff he took last night I guess,” says Gerard. “Last night we quickly stopped by his place on the way to mine so he could grab some of his clothes and things.”

“Oh, okay,” says Frank, just picturing Jonah lying passed out on the pullout bed in Gerard’s living room. “I miss you,” he says, feeling his eyes fill with tears. 

“I miss you, too, baby bear,” says Gerard sweetly. “Took me forever to fall asleep last night without you beside me.”

“Aww, babe...” says Frank, feeling sad. “My mom told me that you asked her if you could come see me today and that she told you “no.” That’s such bullshit.”

“I know, baby...” says Gerard with a sigh. “She also told me I have “poor judgement” for letting you spend time with Jonah. I highly doubt she’s ever gonna let me come over there.”

“Wow... I love how she blames you for who I choose to spend time with...” says Frank sarcastically. “Anyway, I guess I’ll just have to sneak out to your place then.”

Gerard chuckles. “I don’t know about that...” he says warily. “I wouldn’t want her to find out and then disapprove of me even more than she already does. It’s bad enough as it is, don’t you think? Just be honest with her and tell her you’re gonna go see us if she won’t let us come and see you. She has no right to keep you from leaving the house—you’re not a child who’s grounded or something.”

“I know...you’re right.” Frank sighs. 

“I think I hear Jonah getting up... Want me to go check? I’m sure he’ll wanna talk to you, too.”

“Yeah, please check,” says Frank, eager to talk to Jonah, too.

“Okay, one sec...”

Frank hears some shuffling and then a door squeaking as it’s opened. 

“Hey, you’re up,” says Gerard, talking to Jonah. 

Frank hears Jonah saying something in the background but he can’t make out any words. 

“Frankie’s on the phone, wanna talk to him for a bit?”

“Yeah, of course—lemme just take a piss real quick, hold up...” Jonah sounds like he’s closer to the phone now and Frank hears footsteps and then a door closing. 

“He’s just gonna use the bathroom and then I’ll pass the phone to him,” says Gerard. 

“Okay,” says Frank, smiling to himself.

“I’ll let you end the call with him, okay?” says Gerard. “I’ll text you later and call you again tomorrow.” 

“Okay. I love you so much, babe.”

“I love you, too, baby boy,” says Gerard. “I know this is a tough situation, but try not to get too frustrated with your mom—you know she has good intentions and that she only wants what’s best for you.”

Frank sighs. “Fine, I’ll try.” He hears a door open and then more footsteps in the background of the call. 

“Okay, I’m passing the phone to Jonah now. Talk to you later, baby.”

There’s more shuffling noises and then Jonah speaks. “Mornin’, Frankie,” he says tiredly, his voice sounding rough from sleep and his tone less chilled out than usual. “How you feelin’?” There’s a puffy, billowing noise against the phone’s microphone on Jonah’s end that makes it sound like he’s falling into fluffy pillows on the pullout bed and pulling blankets over himself. 

“I’m okay, I just have a lingering headache,” says Frank. “Are you okay? You sound kinda miserable.”

Jonah chuckles a bit. “Oh, you can tell?”

“Yeah. What’s the matter?” asks Frank worriedly. 

Jonah sighs. “I just really wanna be stoned right now,” he admits. “Wish I could come over and smoke a bowl with you, honestly.”

Frank smiles to himself, thinking about all the times they’ve gotten stoned in Jonah’s bed and also wishing that they could do that right now. 

“That’d be so tight,” says Frank dreamily. “Can’t you still smoke weed? It’s not dangerous or addictive like coke and pills and shit.”

Jonah sighs again. “Nope. Can’t smoke up. Apparently weed is like a “stepping stone” to harder drugs—accordin’ to Doctor G. Way...” he says irritably. 

Frank hears Gerard chuckle and then say something inaudible in the background and guesses he’s in earshot of Jonah’s side of the conversation.

“Damn, that’s gotta be rough...” 

“It’s aight; I’ll survive...” says Jonah with another sigh, sounding like he’s trying to convince himself it’s true. “I wanna apologize again for last night, baby... It was a stupid decision on my part to put you in such an unsafe position. I really shouldn’ta let you drink so much, ‘specially ‘cause you ain’t even legal yet...”

“Can you please stop apologizing, Jonah? It’s really not your fault and I don’t want you thinking it is anymore.”

“How can I _not_ think it’s my fault when both your mom and Gerard told me it is?” says Jonah. “Like, your mom told me I’m fuckin’ “dangerous.””

Frank rolls his eyes. “She said that to me, too; she can be so dramatic...” he says. “Look, you didn’t force me to drink or anything and you didn’t make me get on my board.”

“Well, I didn’t stop you either, which is just as bad.”

Frank sighs, realizing that he’s not gonna change Jonah’s mind about this. “Anyway, what are you guys doing today?”

“Gerard said I should just rest until I feel like the drugs are out my system, so I’m prolly just gonna sleep the rest of the day. I still feel hella foggy from the xans,” says Jonah, sounding like he’s changing positions in bed. “Anyway, he said we’ll go to a NA meetin’ tomorrow.”

“Oh, okay,” says Frank. “Have you ever been to one before?” 

“Nah,” says Jonah. “First time for everything though, ay?”

“Are you nervous?”

“Yeah, of course,” Jonah admits, sounding a little more subdued now. “I’m scared shitless of bein’ sober all the time; of actually feelin’ shit for once, and actually talkin’ ‘bout how I’m feelin’... It’s fuckin’ terrifying.”

“Maybe the more you do it the easier it’ll get,” says Frank. “I mean, that’s how it is with a lot of things—it’s hard as fuck at first but then it gets easier with practice. Like, think about the first time you skated. I’m sure you didn’t land a perfect one-eighty on your first try, right? And, it’s probably gonna be the same with like learning how to change the way you think and shit.”

“You’re so smart, Frankie,” says Jonah, sounding like he’s smiling now. “I really appreciate you sayin’ that ‘cause I always fall into the trap of thinkin’ I gotta do shit perfectly to start off and then I end up beatin’ myself up mentally and thinkin’ I ain’t shit when it don’t work out like that.”

Frank smiles, glad to be able to help Jonah feel more confident about going to these meetings and about getting sober. “No worries, I’m glad I could help,” he says. “You can call me or Facetime me or text me or whatever if you ever wanna talk about anything. I’m always here for you.”

“Thank you, baby. You’re the best,” says Jonah sincerely. “I don’t think I’ve ever dated anyone who’s actually wanted me to get better; they’ve all just either wanted to be with me for the clout or for the drugs or ‘cause they knew I had hella racks.”

“What about Jamia? Why’d she wanna be with you?”

Jonah chuckles. “She’s been off ‘em for like a year now but she popped more pills than me when we first met,” he says. “That’s why she started hangin’ out with me in the first place.”

“Oh, damn...” says Frank, surprised. Just then, there’s a knock on his bedroom door. “Hold on a sec, Jonah...” he says. “Yeah, come in,” he calls out to his mom. 

Linda comes into the room carrying a tray of food. “I made you a veggie wrap with cheese and heated up some butternut squash soup that I made last night,” she says as she sets the tray down on Frank’s bed. 

“Thanks, Mom,” says Frank, looking up at her. 

“Who’re you talking to?” 

“Uh, Jonah...” says Frank carefully, knowing his mom won’t approve. 

Linda shakes her head. “I don’t even want you talking to that guy.”

Frank rolls his eyes. “Hey, I gotta go now, okay?” he says into the phone.

“Aight, babe. Everythin’ okay?”

“Yeah, it’s just my mom...”

“Ah, I see. She don’t want you talkin’ to me, right?”

“Yeah, how’d you know?”

“She fuckin’ told me to my face last night,” says Jonah, laughing. 

Frank chuckles. “Damn, I missed a lot...” he says.

“Anyway, I’ll let you go now,” says Jonah. “I love you so fuckin’ much, baby.”

Frank feels the pleasant sensation of butterflies filling his stomach and he smiles to himself. “I love you, too,” he says. 

“Later, Frankie,” says Jonah before ending the call. 

Frank puts his phone down and then looks up to meet his mom’s incredulous stare. “What?” he asks.

Linda just stares at Frank for a moment longer before shaking her head resignedly and then leaving the room, shutting the door behind her.


End file.
